Like the Wind: A Saito Hajime Love Story
by HiddenXEmotion
Summary: Katsumi didn't know what to think when she was dragged into events with the Shinsengumi but she wasn't one to back down; or to let men take ahold of her life. But there's just something about the silent Saito that seems to make her happy. Happy enough to make her wonder what she plans on doing with the rest of her life...and what she has to chose between when her past gets involved
1. Chapter 1

**_Chapter One_**

**_The Okami Pack_**

**"Stop it, Katsumi! **Stop it! I…can't…breath!"

"Beg me."

"I am begging!"

"Say it!"

"Say what?"

"You know what!"

"All right, all right! Katsumi, you are greater than I. There is no way that I can ever defeat you and I don't know why I continue to try."

"Good." Katsumi removed herself from the other woman and went to make her way to the food on the table but was jumped on again. "Gah!"

"Come on, Ryoko," A third voice called from the table. "You know you'll never win."

"Shut up, Yumi! I'll never give up! Eve-ahh!" She grunted as she was pinned beneath the other woman again. "Dammit! Come on, Katsumi, let me win! Just once! Please?"

"Nope, not in your dreams. If I did that I would never hear the end of it, from you guys and my brothers!"

Katsumi Yamaguchi was about 24 at the height of 5'7' with brown hair to her shoulders with matching eyes. Her skin was a light tan as she was dressed in clothes from the West; the rest of her group was dressed the same. Her pants were black with a white top and matching boots.

Katsumi had been wrestling around with Ryoko Ito. Ryoko was 5'6', 17 years old, and had long black hair curled into a braid and bright blue eyes. Her skin was a pale color, but healthy, as she wore black pants like Katsumi while her shirt was a dark red.

Yumi and the others were around the table, eating while watching their friends wrestle.

Yumi Sato was at 5'7' and about 25 years old with short blonde hair and grey eyes. Her western outfit was gray pants and a dark blue top.

Tsukiko Hayashi was the same age as Yumi and reached the height of 5'9' with long red hair and brown eyes. Her heritage was a bit different than the others, seeming as how her mother was from Scotland, but after living here nearly her whole life she had gotten accustomed to Japan. Her pants were black and her top was a dark green.

Chika Suzuki was about 24 with long black hair and green eyes as she reached the height of 5'7'. Her outfit was black and an orange/yellow.

Fuyu Kimura was 5'6' at the age of 23 with medium black hair and green eyes, having taken on her aunt's look by not only hair and eyes but clothes as well as in the black, western-style pants and a bright pink, fancy top.

Asami Kimura was the one that you would call the 'Head of the Pack' with long black hair and green eyes. She appeared to be in her middle twenties and at the height of 5'8'. Her outfit was much like her niece's but her shirt was a dark purple.

Finally able to join the others around the table, Katsumi began to shove the food in her mouth. "So, what's the plan for today?"

"We're going to check Kyoto out." Tsukiko told her. "We got in late last night so I want to see what they have here."

Talk broke out amongst them all for a moment on the idea of what they were going to do around the city when Asami opened her mouth. "I would like for you all to keep out of the city problems. I do not want a repeat of Edo to be happening here in Kyoto, understand?"

Everyone, but Asami, turned to look at Ryoko and Katsumi again. Ryoko flushed and hung her head while Katsumi crossed her arms with a smirk. "Well, the men shouldn't have tried to touch those other women. I wasn't just going to stand there and let them have their way with them."

"Yes, but you didn't have to pulverize them to near death," Yumi told her and then added under her breath- "Though I would have done the same thing."

"Still, I'll take Ryoko with Yumi and I," Tsukiko decided to say. "It would be a smart idea to go off in groups in this city."

No one seemed to think to argue and so, in the end, Tsukiko, Ryoko, and Yumi went off together. Fuyu went with her aunt, like always, and Chika and Katsumi decided to stick together.

"Not too bad!"

Chika watched Katsumi as she continued to shove the food in her mouth as they walked through the streets. "How can you eat like you do and still stay so thin?"

Katsumi swallowed what was in her mouth and grinned. "Because I'm just awesome that way."

Chika rolled her eyes but smiled. Without Katsumi in the group it wouldn't have been as fun as it normally was. The woman knew when to be serious though; that's why everyone loved her.

They had been walking around the large city all morning, the sun now reaching high in the sky and telling the two women that it was about mid-day now. They had seen the other women a few times but as the day went on they had taken notice to the men walking around in the light blue haoris the samurai would wear. They were all over the place, almost like a guard of the town. Katsumi had asked one of the owners of a small store who they were. The elder man, haven given them a weary look due to the fact they were dressed as westerners and had sword of their own, told them that the men were members of the Shinsengumi. Katsumi had heard of them. The Shinsengumi were a group of rogue samurai that were currently under orders of protecting Kyoto.

"Well, to be protecting the city they seem very calm in letting people with swords into the city," Chika grumbled under her breath, glancing at a few of the others there with their own swords.

"Stop worrying," Katsumi told her companion. "You're ruining the mood."

Chika pulled a smile at her companion's words. "Yeah, you're right."

Katsumi might have seemed unworried to her friend but she was truly very cautious. She always was. They were women traveling around Japan in the clothes of the west and with swords. There was no way for them to be mistaken for men due to some of their…ah, attributes, so it just made it worse in some villages and towns. She liked fighting but she didn't like the trouble that followed it. If there was to be a fight broken out amongst any of these people her in Kyoto then an even large problem from these Shinsengumi would follow; especially if they were within that group.

"Westerners? Here?" Chika and Katsumi paused for a moment as they stared at some trinkets on the table before them. So someone had finally taken notice of the strangers in town, hmm? "And with swords. I thought that you favored guns." The man continued in a playful voice.

Chika turned first, unable to keep herself from replying. "Oh, and here I figured that the men here all wore dresses."

"A woman?" the man's voice sounded surprised now. Katsumi turned to get a look at him now as well. "Two of them?" She tried not to laugh. After all, after seeing them from the front it was rather hard NOT to notice that they were women.

The man that had been talking reached the height of 6'1' with brown hair and green eyes. He wore clothes of red/orange and gray beneath the light blue haori and the white tasuki of the Shinsengumi.

The man beside him was close in height, just a bit shorter, with dark hair and blue eyes as he dressed in black beneath his own haori and tasuki. There was a white scarf around his neck, despite it being in summer, and he wore a plain face as he glanced the two women over himself.

"What's wrong?" Katsumi decided to grin. "Never seen a woman before?"

The man's surprised look disappeared and was replaced with a smirk. "Are you sure that you can call yourself women while going around dressed like that?"

Katsumi's eyebrow twitched. She was instantly reminded of her third out of the seven brothers she had. The look on this man's face made a flashback reel and she felt like jumping on that man and pounding on him.

"Listen here buddy," Katsumi made to take a step forward but Chika placed a hand on her shoulder and kept her in place.

"We're not here for any trouble," She told the two men. "We're just traveling around. You can tell that we're from Japan; we just find the western clothes to be a bit more comfortable than our regular clothes. There's not crime in that, is there?"

"Not really, but then again women traveling around with swords is not something that you see often." The man continued with that small smirk of his.

"So only men are allowed to carry weapons?" Katsumi narrowed her eyes. "Where's the sense in that?" The man lost his smirk and opened his mouth to reply but his companion beat him to it.

"Your coat," The silent man began. "What does it stand for?" They only stared at him. "You both wear it so it must have a meaning."

"Well, what do you know," Katsumi grinned again. "One of you is smart."

Understanding that he wasn't going to get an answer, the blue-eyed man turned and began to walk away. His companion gave the two women another look before following the other.

Chika let out a sigh of relief. "I didn't think that they would just walk off like that," She silently said. "I wonder why."

"Who cares?" Katsumi shrugged. "Let's just continue on. If they come back then we'll deal with them then."

But they didn't come back. They didn't even run into a problem after that as the day turned to night and they met back up with the others to have dinner before heading back to the inn they were staying at. Asami and the others had taken notice of the Shinsengumi men as well and had been approached themselves. Asami told them that it wasn't a good idea to stick around for too long and so they would be leaving Kyoto the next morning before trouble aroused. They were on their way back to the Inn when a scream brought them to a halt.

"Oh no," Yumi shook her head, her Scottish accent popping up a bit. "No, we're not getting involved with this." There was s second scream and Asami and Tsukiko moved off quickly, the others following them; Yumi gave silent curses along the way. What they came across wasn't what they had been expecting.

A group of men were kneeling on the ground in a circle over the body of a young woman and a child. At first, Katsumi thought that they had come running to the screams as well since they were wearing those light blue haoris of the Shinsengumi but it appeared that that wasn't the case. These men were apparently the causes of the screams; it was easy to tell so when the women spotted the blood on their hands and faces.

"What the fuck…" Ryoko's voice sounded disgusted as the men stood up and turned to face them. Their eyes were a glowing red and their hair was white as they wore looks of hunger and lust. One of them ran forward with a roar at the women. Katsumi was the closest to him so she quickly whipped out her sword and knocked him to his back with a large slash splattering his blood at their feet. She smirked but it quickly fell as the man stood back up, completely healed like nothing had happened at all. But that wasn't possible. The cut on his shirt was there but the wound was gone; not even a mark to show that it made been there.

"What the hell?" Katsumi cried at the sight of the white-haired man getting back up.

"So," Yumi grinned as she pulled her own sword out. "Normal attacks won't work, huh?"

"I don't know," Tsukiko pulled her's out as well. "Perhaps we should try them headless. What do you think?"

"Works for me. If they can move without heads you can take all the money I have." Chika decided to join in with the dup, her own sword drawn.

There was only three men so Katsumi and the others let the three of them have their fun as she stood there, still thinking to herself. She had cut that man; the blood was there to prove it. So why had he healed? There was no way that he could heal like that. It was just impossible.

"Don't worry about it, Katsumi," The woman turned to look at Asami. The leader of the pack was staring up at the sky for a moment as the battle finished. "We'll get our answers soon enough."

"What do you-"

"Would you look at that," A voice cut her off. "They actually killed them!"

Yumi's eyes winded for a moment. "You three again."

Katsumi turned from Asami to see that a group of men in those blue haoris surrounded the seven of them; this time none of them wore that creepy looks or the red eyes and white hair. Her eyes traveled across the men that stood before them.

The one that had spoken was a young man, appearing to be around Ryoko's age, with long brown hair in a high pony-tail and blue-green eyes. Beneath that blue haori were the colors black, yellow, and purple.

Beside him there was eight other men.

One was in his middle twenties with short brown hair and a green bandana around his forehead and a tan, muscular body beneath the blue haori and

violet shirt.

Beside him, at the middle twenties again, the man had long red hair her kept pulled back in a low tie with golden-brown eyes as his clothes beneath the haori was red and white.

The next man Katsumi found sharing a glare with Asami. He gave off the air of being in charge for some reason. This young man was the tallest of them all with black hair that trailed down his back and a set of dark, purple eyes. Beneath his Haori were the colors black and purple.

The last two men were one with glasses and medium brown hair and the other had brown hair that was pulled up much like that Okita fellow had been. Speaking of which…

"You!" Katsumi growled, pointing at Okita as he stood there with the group. He had his arms crossed as he wore that smirk of his that she just wanted to slap off. "What do you want this time?" Before the man could answer the sound of a sword being drawn made Katsumi turn. It was the other man this time; the silent one from before. When the sword had drawn all the women had placed their hands on their own, readying themselves for a fight.

"What's wrong? Not scared of a few women, are you?" Chika asked as her gaze traveled between the men that now gripped their own swords.

"Considering that you are the Okami Pack and not just your ordinary women, it seems like it would be a smart idea to be cautious at first." The silent man replied.

Katsumi grinned at the man again, ignoring the blade he held at her. "Like I said before; you're the smart one."

Fuyu looked at all of them for a moment before sighing and letting go of her sword. "Is this really necessary?" She asked them, taking a step forward as she rubbed the side of her head. "Can't we act like civilized people and talk instead of trying to kill eachother?"

One of the men, the one without glasses, let out a laugh and let go of his own blade; the others followed suit. "You're right. I'm sure that you all have questions. Perhaps we can handle this-"

"Koudou," The man that had been glaring at Asami now looked at the other man. "You know quite well that-"

"Toshizo, they're women! What can we-"

"We are standing right here, you know." Katsumi growled, placing her hands on her hips. "Either you talk or we're going to leave, got it? Some of us are tired."

Their eyes turned back to her as she continued to stare at the one called Toshizo.

"I'm confused," the young man with the ponytail scratched the side of his head. "Saito called these women the 'Okami Pack'. What does that mean?"

"The story is," The redhead beside the teen answered him. "That a small group of samurai mercenaries formed in the south and have been traveling all over the country taking on tasks and missions that other find to be…either too hard or too foolish. Rumors had been going on about the group being ex-warriors of the army or something like that, but apparently that's not the case anymore."

"Yeah," The muscled man commented now, crossing his arms. "Who'd ever thought that it would be women?"

"Why does everyone make that comment?" Yumi hung her head as she glanced over at Tsukiko. "Are women warriors really something that strange?"

"Men are just idiots and thick-headed," Tsukiko gave the muscled man a glare. "Thinking that they are the only ones capable of fighting."

He didn't seem to like that. "What did you say?"

"Hold on, Shinpachi," The redhead grabbed his friend as he ran forward.

"No, let him go, Sanosuke," The teen laughed. "I wanna see him get his butt kicked."

"What did you say, you runt?" Shinpachi rounded on the other man.

Sanosuke shook his head. "You just make it worse, Heisuke."

Toshizo looked like he wanted to murder the two of them as the others stayed silent. The man in glasses decided to step forward. "The point is, Koudou, you saw what I did. We have a problem."

The man nodded and rubbed his chin. "Yes, we do." He thought for a moment, closing his eyes before looking back to Asami. "You are the Okami Pack, aren't you? The symbols you wear on the back of your coats are the same as the stories say."

Katsumi glanced at the coat that Chika wore. They all wore the same thing over their regular clothes. The coats were long and black with the white design of fire and a furious looking wolf on the back.

"And if we are?" The leader of the group replied.

"Then that can either make it better," Koudou then frowned. "Or worse." He took a step forward to Asami. "I am Isami Koudou, the commander of the Shinsengumi. Would it be too much to ask you and your companions to come with us to our headquarters?"

Asami locked eyes with him. "It appears that we have stepped over the boundaries and into something that needs a lot of explaining."

Koudou gave her a nod. "Something that cannot be explained out in the open."

She gave him a few more moments of a silent stare. "How do I know that you will not jump on us?"

Koudou's face was serious. "I swear on my honor as a samurai."

Asami turned her head and closed her eyes. "Then you'd best hurry with your explanation."

"How can we trust that?" Fuyu asked her aunt. "The last time-"

"This is not the time, nor the place." Tsukiko cut the other woman off. "If you're aunt tells us to go then we shall go."

"Don't worry, Fuyu," Katsumi gave her friend a thumbs-up. "They won't be able to touch us!" But again, Katsumi had a strange, cautious feeling in her stomach as he gaze turned back to the white-haired bodies on the ground before them. Something very strange was going on here.

"Come on," Katsumi tore her gaze from the bodies to see that the others had begun to follow Koudou and Toshizo. Heisuke and the man with the glasses had stayed behind to do something to those bodies and it was the silent man that had been speaking to her. She stayed silent herself as she followed him after the others, thinking to herself.

"You," She looked at the man. "How did you know who we were?"

His blue eyes were cold as he gazed at her while they continued to walk. "I didn't," He told her.

"Just a hunch, huh?" Katsumi gave a small laugh. "Damn, you really are a smart one, aren't you?"


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter Two_**

**_The Shinsengumi_**

**"How long do you plan to keep me locked in here like some criminal?"**

"Calm down, Katsumi." Tsukiko told her friend. "There's no need to be upset."

"No need? No need!" Katsumi cried. "They locked us up in here last night and told us not to try and leave! We have no idea where the others are and our swords were taken from us." She closed her eyes for a moment. "What was Asami thinking, letting them do that?"

"You should learn to trust her," Tsukiko told her friend. "Has she ever made a bad decision before?"

"No, but," Katsumi gave a furious growl. "Dammit! This is bullshit!" She turned and punched the door again. At that moment the door slide open and a kind-looking man stepped in…until Katsumi's fist planted in his face.

"Oh my god!" Tsukiko jumped to her feet and helped the man back up. "Dammit Katsumi, I told you!"

"It's not my fault!" She cried. "A man should know to knock on a woman's door before just entering."

Scowling at her friend, Tsukiko turned back to the man. "I'm sorry. Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine and no, she's right. I should have knocked." He smiled, rubbing his nose. He introduced himself as Genzaburo Inoue. "I have come to take you to the others." He paused for a moment. "They've been discussing what to do with you since dawn."

"Where are the others?" Katsumi asked him.

"The rest of your companions have already been spoken to." Inoue told them. "Koudou thought it would be easier to talk to you all separately then having all seven of you in a large group all at once."

"With Katsumi, she's like a whole group on her own." Tsukiko sighed.

"Yes, I heard so from Saito and Okita last night." Inoue chuckled as Katsumi scowled at them both. "Come, just follow me. Now I know that they seem scary but they're all really very nice."

"Tch," Katsumi scoffed as they followed the man down the hall of the estate. "I don't get scared."

"Spider." Tsukiko suddenly said, pointing ahead of them on the floor.

"Where?" Katsumi cried as she jumped onto Inoue's back.

Tsukiko shook her head as the man laughed at them. Katsumi glared at the other woman when she dropped back to the floor but she stayed silent as the followed Inoue until they reached a large room and found all the men from the night before sitting there, talking amongst themselves. Sitting off to the side by herself as Asami. Tsukiko hurried to her and knelt before her.

"Are you all right?"

"They didn't try to do anything to you, did they?" Katsumi asked, giving the men that had fallen silent an evil look.

"I'm fine," Asami assured them with a soft smile. "As are the others."

"Good, I was getting worried there for a second," Katsumi scratched the back of her head.

"Good morning." Katsumi turned to see that man, Okita, shooting her that smirk of his. "Did you sleep well?" The group before them were seven of the men from the night before.

"Shut it," The woman growled.

Tsukiko turned back to Asami. "Where are the others now?"

"Inoue took them to get something to eat before bringing you to us," The voice made the two of turn their attention to the man in the middle. The man that had been talking was Isami Koudou. He was supposed to be the leader of the Shinsengumi. "I apologize for the circumstances." He told them. Katsumi hadn't been expecting that and scratched the back of her head some more, not sure what to say. "Can I ask for your names?"

"Only if you give us yours first." Tsukiko replied.

Isami nodded with a smile still spread across his face and he went down the row. Heisuke Toudou was the adorable teen with the high ponytail and blue-green eyes. He had to be about the same age as Ryoko. Shinpachi Nagakura was the muscular man in the green bandana that Tsukiko seemed to be exchanging glares with at the moment. Sanosuke Harada was the redhead with the kind smile. Toshizo Hijikata was the man with the long black hair and dark purple eyes as he glared firmly at the trio of women before them. Souji Okita was the man that was annoying Katsumi to death already, and that left Hajime Saito to be the smart one from the night before.

"Tsukiko Hayashi."

"Katsumi Yamaguchi."

"You," Isami looked at Tsukiko. "You don't seem to be…completely Japanese."

"That's because my mother was from Scotland." The woman answered, placing her hands on her knees. "Why does that matter?"

"It was just a question," Isami smiled.

"Well, let's cut the questions and just get to the reason why we're all here," Tsukiko told him. "The events from last night."

"Wait a quick second," Katsumi cut in. "I don't care what happened last night. As far as I'm concerned we were attacked by a group of white-haired morons before being dragged here to this damn place," She glared at Isami. "I don't care what was going on and I do not look forward into getting involved with it so I'd rather not hear anything about it, all right?"

Heisuke pulled a surprised face. "I've never heard that one before."

"Same here," Sanosuke grinned. "It seems like this group of women are quite unlike the others."

"And just what others are you talking about?" Katsumi asked through clenched teeth.

"It doesn't matter what you want," Shinpachi decided to tell Katsumi, crossing his arms. "The results are still the same. You either stay here and work with us or we kill you."

Katsumi pulled a look. "Work with you?"

"Why would we do that?" Tsukiko asked them.

"Unfortunately," Isami sighed. "what you witnessed last night…is not something that we can trust with just someone we met on the streets. Normally, if you were men, we would have just killed you but since you're all women…we came up with another plan. After talking Kimura there," He gestured at Asami. "It seems that Saito was right in claiming you to be the Okami Pack. I didn't expect the group to be made up of women but that doesn't change my ideas. Warriors are Warriors and to have the ones known as the Okami pack inside the Shinsengumi," Isami didn't get to say no more as Tsukiko's laughter cut him off.

"So, all of this is just to strengthen your looks?"

"Uhh," Isami searched for the right words to say when Shinpachi glared at the woman again.

"Look here, woman, you either agree to do this or we kill you; make your choice."

"Are you threatening me?" Tsukiko's voice was now like stone. Katsumi knew that that meant and immediately jumped between the two of them, giving Shinpachi a warning look.

"You never, ever for the life of you, threaten a Scottish woman," She told him. "You'll find yourself missing a few pieces in the morning, if you know what I mean." Katsumi then turned back to Asami. "So, what do you think?"

"I does not matter what I think," She answered her. "The choice is yours."

"Some choice," Tsukiko snorted. "'Join us or die.' What choice do you see here?" She glared at Koudou. "If any of them get hurt while-"

"After last night," Okita grinned. "I'm sure that they would get hurt only by their own actions."

Katsumi stared at him for a moment, not sure if that was supposed to be a compliment or a tease. She turned to Isami. "So let's just say, for a moment, that we did join your little party. What exactly would we be doing?"

Toshizo was the one that answered. "What exactly do you think you'll be doing? You claim to be warriors so you will be used as warriors and sent out on patrols with squads."

"Well if we have to have partners," Katsumi grinned. "Then I want the smart one."

"The smart one?" The men, except one, looked at each other in confusion.

"That one," She lifted her hand and pointed at the silent man that had yet to move. Saito opened his eyes and looked at her with a silent sigh. "He knows when to stay quiet, making him even smarter than I thought."

"And a hell of a lot smarter than you." Tsukiko growled at Shinpachi.

"What was that?" The man went to stand up but Heisuke and Sanosuke held him down.

Asami shook her head before standing. "I tried to warn you," She told Koudou. "We were given our name for a reason. You've brought all of this upon yourselves."

"So I take it that you agree?" Isami asked them.

"It's not like we really have any other choice." Tsukiko sighed, standing to her feet. "I'll get my sword back, right?"

"Of course," Isami nodded. "You can have the rest of the day to get used to the grounds and will be given everything back tomorrow morning, I promise."

Katsumi sighed and stood herself, folding her hands behind her head as she walked out the door. "A whole day without Kurina?" She referred to her blade. "I'm going to feel so naked."

It wasn't hard to find the other women. The four of them were in the courtyard beneath some trees, eating the food that Inoue had brought them.

"Katsumi! Tsukiko!" Fuyu greeted the women with her Aunt. "I'm glad to see that you're all right."

"I take it that you agreed to stay too then, huh?" Yumi asked them.

"What did you think that we were going to do?" Tsukiko asked, sitting down beside her friend.

"Well, with Katsumi there with you," Ryoko decided to say. "We were expecting the men to quickly run out of the room in rage. Did she not annoy them?"

"Oh, very funny," Katsumi gave a fake laugh.

"Believe it or not," Asami decided to smile. "It was Tsukiko that angered the men; especially that Nagakura fellow."

The four around the table stared at Tsukiko in surprise. She normally didn't act like that.

Chika shook her head. "I've got a bad feeling about us staying here," She told the others.

"Yes, well there's not much else that we can right this moment," Asami told her. "Give it a few days and maybe then I'll have an idea." Chika nodded.

Katsumi stretched her arms with a grin. "Well then, if that's the case, then I just have one thing to say to you," She pointed at Ryoko. Tsukiko slapped a hand to her face, knowing what was coming as Ryoko gave a timid 'what?'. "Give me your food!"

Instantly Ryoko jumped up from the table with her plate, running around and trying her fastest to finish what was there as Katsumi chased her around, demanding for it to be handed over to her.

Caught up in their laughter and the food, none of the women noticed the two men that were watching them from the walkway behind them.

Okita clapped a hand on Saito's shoulder. "Have fun with your new partner," He laughed as he moved down the hall.

Saito watched as Katsumi continued to chase the other woman before shaking his head and leaving the group of women behind.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter Three_**

**_First Patrol_**

**"You've returned to me! **I felt so naked without you, Kurina!"

Saito watched as Katsumi ripped the blade from his hands and hugged it to her, whispering apologies and other things to it. He blinked, not sure how he was supposed to act to something like that. He had never seen anyone act like that to a sword before. To anything before, really. Except maybe Shinpachi and Sanosuke to alcohol.

"Why are you doing that?" He asked her.

Katsumi paused and looked at the man beside her, like she was surprised that he was still standing there. "Well…it's a secret." She then glanced down at what she was wearing. Still in her normal clothes the only thing that was different was the blue haori that she was now wearing instead of the jacket. She pulled at the sleeves that Inoue had tied back for her. "How can you stand wearing these things? They're so annoying!" Saito stared at her for a moment before turning to lead the way. She followed after him. "You really DON'T talk too much, do you?" Her answer was silence and she sighed and folded her arms behind her head. "I'll take that as my answer."

It was that next afternoon that Katsumi had with Saito. The girls had been given rooms to share, the only one that received her own room was Asami. Katsumi was sharing a room with Chika who had become partners with Okita. Katsumi was very glad that she wasn't stuck with that pompous windbag.

Their job was to run routes around Kyoto and keep things calm and silent. Katsumi found herself thinking that walking through the city with this silent man was going to be annoying but watching the events between the people of the city turned out to be very entertaining. Children playing with eachother. Men trying to pick up women(both drunk and sober). Salesmen standing in the streets, calling out prices to passerbys. The smell of the food was killing the young woman. It was like Chika had said the other day; Katsumi could eat anything and everything all day and still stay thin. According to Yumi and Ryoko though, that wasn't fair.

Yes, everything in the city was enjoyable but her constantly silent partner was staring to put a kill on it. She knew he didn't talk too much but this was just freakin' ridiculous!

"Do you not ever speak?"

"What is there to say?" Saito asked her after another moment of silence.

"I don't know, but say something. Hell, I don't care if it's to make fun of me. Just give me something!" Katsumi scratched her head in frustration. "Not talking is…" Her voice fell as she paused in her steps for a moment, glancing around the city.

Saito paused as well, staring at her. "What is it?"

"I'm not…" she paused again and glanced to the left just in time to hear a woman give out a scream from the restaurant.

Neither of them gave eachother a glance as they both hurried forward to see what was happening. It didn't take too long to put two and two together. It was just some stupid idiot deciding that he wanted to try and hit on one of the women that worked there and she wasn't having it. She had slapped him and the man didn't like that so he had gotten a bit too rough with her. Glancing to the side, Saito gave a sigh at the look of anger on his companions face. He should have known that that one was coming. It angered him for a man to hit a woman as well but something told him that Katsumi was going to take the steps a bit too far.

"Hey!" The said woman growled as she stomped forward, grabbing the man's hand and yanking it off the woman. "Keep your hands off!"

The man and his little groupies were shocked, whether it was because they weren't used to being talked back to or because Katsumi was a woman, Saito didn't know, but he knew that they weren't going to let it faze them for too much longer. "What's this? Another woman? Go clean something, leave us be."

Katsumi's eyes narrowed as the man went to grab the other woman again but she grabbed his hand, halting it in its path. "Didn't you hear what I said?" She asked him. "I told you to keep your hands off." The man glared at her before turning his hand around to grab her own wrist. Katsumi wasn't having that and took her other hand, swinging it to crash into the idiot's face. "And you should be warned not to ever touch me!"

The man gave out a cry as he fell back, holding his nose. The man was drunk as hell, as were his men as they moved forward and tried to attack Katsumi for hitting their boss. Saito closed his eyes and moved into the fight as the woman beside him went into a whirlwind of fists and kicks. This was no reason for him to pull out his blade. Fists and feet would be just fine.

During the battle, Saito felt a small smile try to spread across his lips. No swords, just hand to hand. He hadn't fought like that in years, it seemed. He remembered working in the dojo like this after the practice with the wooden swords was over for the day. He had forgotten what it felt like. When he was younger he didn't like the fists, he wanted the swords, but now it seemed like this was…

"And that is why you don't mess with a member of the Okami Pack!" Katsumi cried proudly as she stomped her foot on the man's back beneath her.

"Well look at that! We hurried over at the scream and we aren't even needed."

Saito and Katsumi both turned to see Ryoko and Heisuke stood in the doorway of the shack, looking over the men on the ground.

Katsumi smiled. "You have to be faster than that, Ryo."

"Wow, did you help do this, Saito?" The young man looked at the men knocked out across the floor. "I didn't know that you could fight with your fists." He sounded impressed. "I didn't know that you had it in you." He teased with a smile.

Katsumi smirked herself as Saito hide his. "Come on now, if you fight with a sword you have to fight with your hands, too. What would happen if your sword broke halfway into the fight and you don't have a spare one? You gotta know how to do something till you can knock the enemy's sword from themselves to get it for yourself."

"I never thought of that," Heisuke admitted.

"Are you sure that you're part of the Shinsengumi?" Ryoko asked the man beside her.

He pulled a face. "Yeah, I'm sure!"

Katsumi rolled her eyes and turned to the woman that was still standing to her side. "Are you all right?"

The woman, still seeming to be in a bit of shock, nodded. "Yes, thank you for saving me."

"Not a problem!" Katsumi gave her a thumbs-up. "We women have to look out for eachother, don't you think?"

The woman was silent for a moment, not expecting that answer, but then nodded with a smile. "Yes, I suppose we should." She gave the two other women a look over. "Are you two…Shinsengumi?"

"Yep!" Ryoko nodded. "Today was our first patrol!"

"I have never seen a woman in the Shinsengumi, let alone wielding a blade," The woman told them in awe.

"We're just that good," Katsumi decided to brag. "If you get good enough I'm sure that you could make it too. And if not, just dress up like a guy. They can't say 'no' then."

The woman pulled a surprised look as she seemed to be thinking about something else. "I never thought of doing that…" She gave Katsumi and Ryoko a soft bow. "Thank you again, and excuse me."

Saito watched as the girl took off into the back of the shack; probably to talk to her boss and the others that worked there. He was a bit curious to what she had been thinking about, and he had a sure idea on what it was, but now was not the time to worry about it. Glancing outside, he saw that it was almost noon. "We have to return. Sanosuke and Shinpachi will have to perform their patrols."

"Yeah," Heisuke nodded in agreement. "Every time we're late, Shinpachi complains."

Ryoko smiled as she and the young man left. "Tsukiko isn't going to like that."

"Shall we?"

Saito turned back to Katsumi to see that she was waiting to leave as well. He would tell Sanosuke about the fight and knew that the redheaded man would send men to take care of it. As he led the way through the rest of their patrol, he found himself interested on what had happened just before the fight.

"How did you know?" Saito asked her.

Katsumi shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know…let's call it woman's intuition."

He just stared at her. "Woman's intuition?"

"Yeah." She paused and looked at him when he stayed silent. "Don't tell me you don't know what that is. What, have you never been around girls before?" A look of horror spread across her face. "Oh, please don't tell me that you're…"

Saito raised a brow. "I'm what?"

"It all makes perfect sense now." Katsumi shook her head like she hadn't even heard him. "Why you're all men and why there was not a single woman to be seen…"

"What are you talking about?" Saito asked her.

Katsumi turned to face him with a horrified look on her face. "You…you and the others…you have a 'thing' for eachother, don't you?"

"A thing?" He raised his brow again. "What do you mean?"

"A thing. You know, a _thing_."

It finally hit Saito what she meant and he pulled a face himself as he jumped back from her. "No! Never in my life!"

"Are you sure about that?"

He glared at her now. "No." He said firmly.

"Good," Katsumi began to walk forward again, relieved. "It just wouldn't be fair if a group of hit guys like yourselves had a thing for other men."

Saito stared at her for a moment. Why in the world would she think that? There was no way that he would be attracted to another man. The very thought of that made him sick! Following her back to the others since their shift was over, Saito watched as she paused just outside in the garden. He paused himself for a moment and found himself wondering what she would say if he asked-

"It's going to be winter soon," Katsumi smiled. "A few more months. I can't wait."

"Why?" He asked her. "What does it bring to you?" Winter…that was always his least favorite season.

"That's when everything is washed away…" She answered softly as she moved away from him. Saito stared after the woman for a moment, a blank look on his face as his thoughts moved wildly.


	4. Chapter 4

**I OWN NOTHING BUT THE STORY LINE AND THE CHARACTERS THAT YOU DON****'T KNOW FROM THE ANIME/MANGA!**

_**Chapter Four**_

_**Rice and Flour**_

**Katsumi thought that being a part of the Shinsengumi was going to be fun, but it wasn't. **It was boring as hell and was driving her to a point of insanity. They did the same things over and over again. Patrol the city and then reside inside the base. And lately, the women were being left behind in the base more and more due to that exact fact. They were women.

"It's not fair!" Katsumi rolled over in the grass. She folded her arms behind her head as she glared at the sky. "I feel like a caged animal. The whole point of the Okami Pack was to prove that women were strong enough to travel and take care of themselves. To prove that men weren't the only ones able to use a sword! What happened, Asami?"

"You were there just like the rest of us, Katsumi." Yumi told her as she sipped at her tea. "Either death or working here."

"Death? Ha! We could have taken them!" Fuyu claimed. "We still could, if they think they could keep us from leaving. I'm tired of just laying here in this same, stupid city. I want to go back to traveling, Auntie!" She told Asami.

"I think that we all do," Chika sighed, setting her brush aside.

"There's no thinking that," Tsukiko mumbled, glancing up from the book in her hands. "It's true for all of us."

"Or at least a little something to do," Ryoko glanced up from the flower in her hand. "We're going to get fat and lazy the more they keep us in here."

Asami stayed silent, just watching the women around her for a moment before sighing and standing up. "I suppose I can go talk to Koudou," She told them. "Maybe he'll have something for us to do."

"I'll go with you," Fuyu hurried after her aunt. Katsumi sat up and watched after them. That young woman never let Asami go off anywhere without her. It was kinda cute.

"Well, I'm tired of sitting here in the sun," She decided to say. "And I'm hungry."

"Same here," Ryoko stood herself. "Let's go invade their pantry."

Katsumi smiled at her friend. "Ingenious idea, Ryo!"

"Just don't destroy anything," Tsukiko warned them as they left the courtyard. "I don't want to have to listen to any of them whine about it later tonight."

"Yeah, yeah," Katsumi waved a hand off before shuffling down the hall, Ryoko following close behind her. "What do you feel like having?"

"Let's make that decision after we figure out what they have," Ryoko answered her. "And they batter have something or I'm gonna be pissed!"

Katsumi gave a hearty laugh. "I have taught you well, Ryo."

Ryoko smiled at the older woman as she walked ahead of her. To be honest, Katsumi was Ryoko's favorite of the Okami Pack, for more reasons than one. That night that she met Katsumi had been her best, and worst, memory of her life.

"Are you okay?" Ryoko lifted her head and found Katsumi glancing at her over her shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry," She smiled.

Katsumi stared at her with a frown for a moment before smiling again. "I was thinking, when it gets colder, I was going to go see my brothers."

Ryoko raised a brow. "Your brothers?"

"Yeah," She nodded. "I haven't seen them all in a while and winter is always the season that we enjoyed the most together. It would be nice to see how they're doing." She glanced at the younger woman, that smile still on her face. "You'll be able to survive a little while without me, won't you?"

"Aww, when are you going to take me with you to meet them? They sound really cool!"

Katsumi continued to smile. "Maybe one day."

When they found themselves in the pantry, neither of them were impressed. Rice. Flour. Teas leaves. And it looked like the kitchen hadn't been cleaned in a while.

"Leave it to men to be a bunch of dirty bastards." Ryoko shook her head.

Katsumi rolled her eyes. "They don't see to shop either, unless that's what some of them are doing now," She found Sake bottles, hidden behind some of the rice bags. "Something tells me that this belongs to Shinpachi."

"With the way Tsukiko has been acting around him, can't say I'm surprised." Ryoko snorted. Katsumi had to agree. Tsukiko was normally the quiet one but she and Shinpachi just rubbed eachother the wrong way, apparently. She felt sorry for Sanosuke and Yumi when they had gone on Patrol with them.

"So," Ryoko placed her hands on her hips. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, what I'm going to do, is drink," She opened up one of the bottles and took a drink. "And clean."

"Clean?" Ryoko sounded surprised as she took the bottle from the other woman. "But why?"

"Well, if you're fine with any food we eat being made here then that's your problem. I, on the other hand, refuse to be sentenced to some disease that I can catch from this."

"I second that." The two turned to find out that their friends had followed them; Asami and Fuyu must have been talking to Kondou still. Tsukiko moved further into the kitchen, taking a look herself. She frowned. "They had nothing to eat, either." She glanced at Chika. "Chika, you think you can sneak out into the city and buy some things."

"Depends," the other woman smiled. "What is it you want me to get?"

Katsumi, Yumi, and Ryoko smiled at eachother as Tsukiko made a list. The Scottish woman was a beast in the kitchen. This meant that they were gonna have a hell of a dinner tonight.

"I'll be back as soon as I can be." Chika nodded to them before disappearing down the hall again.

"Now," Tsukiko turned to the three women she was left with. "Let's get down to business. Katsumi, I want you…"

With four women cleaning it, the kitchen didn't last longer than an hour and they were soon sitting around on the new clean floors, drinking another bottle of Sake. The moment Tsukiko heard they might have been Shinpachi's she attacked them. It wasn't long after that when Chika returned to them. They were surprised to find Heisuke following after her with the ingredients she had gone to get in his hands.

The young man looked amazed at the kitchen. "Wow! I didn't think it could be possible! It had been dirty for so long!"

Ryoko laughed at him and stood to her feet to take the bags from him and set them on the counter.

"What happened?" Tsukiko asked Chika as she stood herself.

"Nothing, really. Got out of the grounds pretty easily but Okita found me in the city. We're apparently not supposed to leave without one of them," She gave a smile. They already knew that. "But instead of helping me himself, he told Heisuke to do it."

"Well, you weren't expecting anything else, were you?" Katsumi laughed. "I can see Heisuke or Shinpachi or Sanosuke carry food bags but Okita or Saito? Not at all. Hijikata, maybe, if he was drunk enough, but only if."

"Hijikata? Drunk?" Yumi raised a brow. "Hell would rain down on earth if that ever happened."

Heisuke laughed at her comment. "Hijikata's not that bad; you just have to get used to him." He glanced at the kitchen again. "So, what exactly are you guys planning on making?"

Ryoko gave him a wink as she escorted him to the hall again. "That's a surprise. You'll see at dinner tonight."

"Aww, that's not fair." The young Captain whined with a smile. "But I suppose I can wait."

"Toudou," Heisuke looked at Tsukiko as she addressed him. "Asami and Fuyu went to go talk to Kondou. Could you go find them and tell them where we're at?"

He nodded. "Sure, no problem!"

When he was gone, Ryoko closed the door with a sigh of relief. "Now, what are the plans, Tsukiko?"

"Ryoko, you and Chika are going to start the rice. Katsumi, you're going to help me with the fish."

Katsumi nodded and began to roll up her sleeves. "Hey…where are these cooks that the Shinsengumi are supposed to have? Cooks normally don't like others in their kitchens."

"It doesn't matter now," Tsukiko told her with a firm face. "The kitchen is ours for the night."

The four shared a smile behind the Scottish woman's back before setting to their duties. Believe it or not, Katsumi found herself enjoying cooking with the girls and when Asami and Fuyu joined them to help, she felt like they were back to normal again. Like there was no Shinsengumi, no imprisonment to the Kyoto grounds, none of it. It was just the seven women playing around and enjoying themselves like they had while in Asami's dojo in Edo before they began to travel together. They truly were like a family.

That evening, when they joined the Shinsengumi Captains for dinner, all of them looked proud. The men scattered around the table only had praises over the fish and rice and leeks and everything else that the women had made. The Wagashi that Fuyu and Ryoko made were a favorite, as were the sweet dumplings that Yumi had created. As for the fish that Katsumi had created she found herself glancing over at Saito to see his reaction. She found it entertaining. He didn't say anything, didn't make a look on his face, but he did eat a lot of it, signaling that there was something good about it; it made her grin happily.

"Hey, Asami," Yumi's voice was slow as she set her cup of tea down. "Are you going to tell us what Kondou said when you came to speak to him earlier?"

The men didn't seem to hear her question as they continued to talk amongst themselves (AKA, Heisuke yelling at Shinpachi for stealing his food) and the group of women all turned to look at their leader. Asami took a calm drink from her tea before slowly setting her own glass on the table.

"The rumor of women warriors in the Shinsengumi have traveled fast and apparently many of the officials are not pleased. It is only because of Kondou that we have not been sentenced for treason."

"Treason?!" Katsumi's voice was loud, bringing the Captains attention to the women. "How can they even consider that?"

"You didn't think they'd just let us go with a slap on the wrists, did you?" Yumi asked calmly, sipping from her tea again. "This is a man's country, Katsumi."

"But-"

"Calm down, Katsumi," Tsukiko told her friend. "I don't like it any more than you do but women are just meant to be the playthings of men here."

"How can you say that after what we've been through?!" Katsumi growled. "We refused to be stepped on. We all joined Asami's dojo so we wouldn't be weak, so we wouldn't been looked down upon. We are some of the strongest people in the country and now you're saying we just sit here and waste away while doing nothing?"

"That's not what she said," Fuyu began but Katsumi stood to her feet.

"Well, that's what I heard. I won't do it! I am a samurai, woman or not, and I refuse to set my blade aside!"

Saito watched in silence as the young woman hurried from the room. His gaze then turned to Ryoko as she stood from her seat. The younger woman was trembling, but from what? Anger? Or was it fear?

"I…I won't do it either." Ryoko's voice shook as much as her body did. "Never again will I fall victim to a man's thoughts or desires or anything that he wants!" She hurried from the room after Katsumi, leaving the other women in the room with them.

"I apologize," Asami told Kondou. "But I told you that they would not be pleased."

"I know," the man gave a sigh, hanging his head. "Give me time. Perhaps I can-"

"Don't bother," Tsukiko's voice cut the man off as she stood herself. Her anger was under control but her face was a cold as ever. "We can find our own path." She left the room as well, leaving an uneasy silence. It was soon after that the other women filed out in silence as well.

"Well, that was interesting," Okita smiled, taking another drink of his tea. That crooked smile was on his face.

"I feel sorry for them," Heisuke admitted a few minutes later. "Normally I don't like the thought of women being involved in battle but with them…Not many can defeat furies, meaning their strength is exceptional. And that dojo of Asami's they always talk about kinda reminds me of what we used to have before the Shinsengumi, you know?"

"True," Hijikata agreed. "But the facts are facts."

"What do you think, Saito?" Okita called over to his friend.

Saito was silent for a moment before he stood up and left the room himself. He didn't have an opinion on any of this. It wasn't a problem of his and until it became one he wouldn't pay attention to it.

Heading to his room for the evening, a sound from a room to his right caught his attention. The door had been left open a little, giving him free sight inside. Katsumi sat on the floor of her and Chika's room, Ryoko crying into the front of her shirt. The older woman wore a firm face as she rubbed the younger woman's back, whispering to her as she calmed her down.

"-nothing to worry about, Ryoko. I won't let anything happen to you again. They won't lay a finger on you. They think they can scare us into submission, well they've never dealt with the Okami Pack before." Her eyes rose and locked with Saito's gaze. He almost frowned at the anger and hatred pouring out of them. "They don't know just how much we she-wolves can do."

For some reason, Saito felt a cold chill settle over his body when Katsumi's eyes returned to the young woman she held. He closed his eyes and continued onto his own room his thoughts, once again, flaring.

**Please Review! I like to know what you all think :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**I OWN NOTHING BUT THE STORY LINE AND THE CHARACTERS THAT YOU DON****'T KNOW FROM THE ANIME/MANGA!**

_**Chapter Five**_

_**The Wind told me**_

**The sound of clashes rang through the grounds. **

"You've got to move faster!"

More sounds of fighting.

"There you go! Keep it up!"

A pause and heavy breathing. "Sorry; it's been a while."

Another clash.

"Don't apologize. The Okami Pack do not apologize! Ever!"

"Hey, Saito, what's going on?"

The man turned to find Heisuke and Sanosuke moving towards him. "Training."

The seven women were in the courtyard. They had been enjoying another of their lunches outside and it had expanded into a training session. They had found some wooden swords and Ryoko was training with Chika at the moment as the others watched and gave tips. At the smiles on their faces, Saito found himself, again, recalling his time at Kondou's own dojo. These women were extremely like them; in their passion for fighting, that it.

Saito had been enjoying tea in his room when the sounds had grabbed is attention and lured him out here to watch as it had Heisuke and Sanosuke. He had lost track of time, watching as the battles changed from Yumi and Fuyu to now Chika and Ryoko. Asami and Tsukiko sat off to the side, talking silently to eachother as they watched the fight. He found himself watching Katsumi more than any of the fights, though now. She had been calling out to Ryoko and giving tips but now she was sitting beside Fuyu in silence, staring up at the sky. He recognized that look on her face. It was the same one that she held that day of her first mission; the look she held when she spoke about winter.

What exactly was she waiting on? What did she want washed away?

"A battle, huh?" Shinpachi grinned as he joined the group. "Come on, boys. Let's go show these ladies how a man fights."

"Shut up, Shin!" Heisuke snorted. "I bet you anything that Tsukiko could knock you on your ass."

The older man whipped around in anger. "You wanna say that again, Toudou?!"

"Now, now," Sanosuke tried to calm them down, not wanting to deal with their arguments right now. "I'm sure the ladies wouldn't have a problem with us joining them, would you, Yumi?"

The blonde woman in question raised her head at her name. She wore a blank face for a moment before lowering her head back down to the papers in her lap. "Do as you like."

Saito watched for a moment longer as the others joined the ladies in their little group, a few other men of the Shinsengumi joining them around the courtyard in interest, and he turned to leave.

"Katsumi, where are you going?" He paused and turned back to find that Katsumi had chosen to stand up and was leaving the courtyard as well.

"Eh, I've already had my fun for the day. I'm going to go…do something else. Don't worry Fuyu. If these guys cheat just let me know; I'll take care of them."

Fuyu laughed at her friend. "I have no worries on that." They all watched as, Ryoko and Chika pausing for a break, as the other woman left. "I wonder what's wrong."

"What's wrong?" Tsukiko snorted. "She's miserable, just like the rest of us are."

"Yeah," Ryoko sighed. "But Katsumi is…"

"She will be fine." Everyone turned to look at Asami as she spoke quietly. "Katsumi will not be held for much longer. She cannot be contained; she's like the wind. It will always cut its path when it's ready to continue on its journey."

"I guess you're right," Chika waved a hand. "I'd just hate to be there when the storm hits." The other women laughed.

Saito closed his eyes but he didn't return to his room like he planned on doing. Instead he found himself heading towards the entrance of the grounds, pausing when he found Katsumi in an argument with one of the guards.

"I apologize, but we have strict orders not to let any of you women out without one of the Captains present with you. Get permission and I will gladly let you go, but until then-"

"Get permission!?" Katsumi's voice was a roar of anger. "I am not some damn porcelain doll! I can take care of myself and I don't need any damn permission to be let out into the city!"

"I'm sorry, but-"

"Either get out of my way willingly or am I going to have to make you?"

The man frowned but his eyes caught sight of Saito as he moved closer. "Captain."

"I shall go with her," He said silently.

"Sir," The man nodded and stepped aside.

Katsumi stayed silent, keeping her face straight ahead as she and the man walked side by side from the ground. She was not going to thank him; she was still ticked with the Shinsengumi from the information she had received the nights before at dinner. That just added to the few things that were already stabbing into her mind; especially as winter came closer and closer. She would be expected home soon.

"Do what you need," Saito's words caught her attention and she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "I'll be here to take you back." They were standing in front of some store; his eyes were closed. She took this moment to quickly take notice that he didn't wear the Shinsengumi jacket; just as she had left her Okami one in her room that morning. They looked normal today; if you could call a woman in men's western clothes normal.

Katsumi didn't reply to him and just moved off, disappearing into the crowd, not caring if he was going to be waiting on her for a while. She didn't want to go back to the Shinsengumi grounds anytime soon; she'd stay out as long as she could.

She traveled through the city like they had that first day and Katsumi found herself smiling and laughing again before joining in on a ball game with a group of kids. It cleared all the thoughts from her head to goof off with the kids but as the night got closer and closer the game dispersed and Katsumi had no other choice than to return to the store to meet with Saito again. She didn't want to go back but she had to.

She paused with a frown. Saito still stood right where she had left him, his head down a little and his eyes closed. He didn't really stand there all this time, did he? She opened her mouth to ask him but closed it again, shaking her head. If he had stood there then it was his own fault.

"Are you ready?"

Katsumi just gave a sigh as she paused beside him. She opened her mouth to reply but her voice didn't seem to want to work. Taking her silence as an answer, Saito turned and led the way back to the Shinsengumi grounds. When they arrived, the woman was just going to return to her room but the man seemed to have other plans.

"Come with me. Stay quiet."

Turning back to look at him with a frown, Katsumi was going to refuse but he had already begun to move down the hall. She had half a mind to just ignore what he had said but interest had caught her.

Saito led her to the 'main room' and had paused outside the room as he gave a soft tap on the wood. Kondou's voice called out to him and he made to step in but paused to give her a sharp look. It was basically telling her to stay outside. Whatever this was, it was important so she wasn't going to argue with him.

"Ahh! There you are, Hajime!" Kondou's voice greeted the man as he slid the door shut behind him. Katsumi stayed close to hear from outside. "I wondered where you had gone off too. You missed dinner."

"My apologies," Saito's voice said. "Katsumi and I were in the city."

"Together?" Toshizo Hijikata's voice reached her as well. Were the others there too? "That's strange, coming from you, Saito."

"What can I help you with, Hajime?" Kondou sounded like he was smiling.

"I wish for the women to return to their ranks among the Squads with the Captains."

Katsumi's eyes widened in shock before a grin spread across her face. Why Saito even thought about this, she had no idea, but if it worked then she wasn't going to care. She was sure the two inside with Saito wore looks of surprise themselves.

"Saito," Kondou had lost his mood, it seemed. "I'm sorry but they said-"

"I know what was said but we have to do something." Saito told him. "We cannot keep these women here like prisoners. They're not animals to keep in a cage. It's not fair."

"Not fair, huh?" Toshizo frowned. "Tell me. What's brought this up?" Saito stayed silent. "Someone had to say something. Did one of the women put you up to this? Have they been badgering you, thinking you're the weakest since you don't talk much?"

Saito was silent for a moment. Katsumi found herself holding her breath as they all waited for his reply. "The wind told me."

"The wind?" Toshizo scoffed. "Even if we wanted to, we can't. They are women. Maybe Fuyu and Ryoko could pass off for men when they dress like us but the others, Katsumi and Tsukiko especially, cannot hide their…womanly attributes."

Katsumi felt her face flushing. Was that something that she should be worried about in hearing? Especially from someone like Hijikata?

"Then let them go." Saito continued. Katsumi's eyes widened again. What in the world was going through this man's head? What had he seen to make him change his mind? Or was he against this from the beginning?"

"Go?" Kondou asked. "Saito, there is nothing that we can do. We have our orders and we must follow them." Saito was silent again. "Believe me, I don't like keeping those women here like this any more than you do but there's nothing else that we can do."

"That's not what you would say at the dojo, Isami." Saito began. "At the dojo you believed anyone had the strength to fight, to do as they pleased. Have you changed that much already?"

~Oh, low blow~ Katsumi told herself but she didn't make a sound or a move. Was this actually going to work.

"That's too far, Hajime." Toshizo growled.

"No," Kondou replied. "He's right. Back at the dojo, young and foolish that I was, I would have let the women fight and be seen with us."

"The circumstances are different," The other man argued. "We're under the orders of-"

"Yes, again, I know." Saito's voice was firm but still soft. "But I feel as though it is not fair."

"What's going on, Saito?" Hijikata asked. "What's exactly on your mind? Why are you trying to get from these women? Is it a woman's touch, perhaps?"

Katsumi felt anger swirl in her chest. Saito was…what was Saito? Truly? He gave off the sight and feel of a soft man who wanted nothing to do with them in a romantic way but was this just his acting? Perhaps he was as just a man as Shinpachi was when it came to women. But, for some reason, that just did not feel like Saito from what she knew of him. Or did she even know him at all.

"Truly, Hijikata, you ask that of me?"

Toshizo sighed. "Yes, you're right. But still, this is not like you at all, Saito. It's interesting to see you fighting over their, as you can say, freedom."

"Freedom." Saito repeated. "In the end, isn't that what we all want?"

Katsumi jumped as the door slid open but it was only Saito that was exiting. He didn't look at her but walked down the hall towards their rooms. She followed him silently, everything that was said passing through her mind as she thought to herself. How did you say anything after that?

As she came to her room's door, Saito paused for a moment. "Don't fear. You and the others will be set free soon."

"Is that what you were trying to do?" She asked him. "Why?"

He turned and looked at her in silence for a moment. "I heard, once, that you cannot contain wind. It will cut its own path when it decides to continue on its journey. I just beat you to it."

Katsumi stared at the man before her in silence for a moment before jumping forward onto him. Saito didn't move backwards fast enough before her hands had slipped around his waist as her face pressed against his chest. He felt his face grow warm and his heart pounding in his ears. Never before had he…he had never touched a woman before. Katsumi's warmth spread through him and he had an urge to lift his arms and hold her close as she pressed her face against his chest.

"Thank you, Saito."

Saito's surprised face turned into a smile as the woman pulled back from him. "Go and sleep. You will be busy tomorrow."

"Yes." Katsumi pulled back from him and slid into her room quickly.

Saito stood there for a moment, letting the cold wind settle in where the woman's body had been.

**Please Review! I like to know what you all think :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**I OWN NOTHING BUT THE STORY LINE AND THE CHARACTERS THAT YOU DON****'T KNOW FROM THE ANIME/MANGA!**

_**Chapter Six**_

_**Daiki**_

**Katsumi knew that it would take a day or two for Kondou to announce that she and others could finally leave, but when she learned that next morning that Isami had left the base it infuriated her and a week later she was still upset. **She was in a cage here. She took what Saito had told her to heart. You could not contain the wind. It will cut its own path when it decides to continue its journey. He thought she was like the wind. It made her smile. HE made her smile.

To be honest, Katsumi didn't know what was going on with her. They had been here for nearly three months now. Winter would begin soon. She wanted to leave but at the same time, she sort of liked it here. After you got over the comments the idiotic men would make it was rather enjoyable. Most of them had learned over the days that this group of women were much like them; even better than some of them. Some accepted that, others didn't like it (much like Shinpachi who trained his men double time now that Tsukiko had beaten them in a practice match) but everything was fine to a point. Shinpachi and Tsukiko still didn't get along too good but the others were fine with eachother; though Okita still had his damn remarks that send most of the women up their walls every now and then. Katsumi felt sorry for Chika since the man had taken it under his wing to guard that woman whenever she went out into the city now.

Believe it or not, Katsumi liked it here a lot more than she would admit. Of course she would never admit it to any of the men but the ones that had been named Captains, Sanosuke, Heisuke, Hijikata, Okita, and Shinpachi were enjoyable most of the time; especially when eating or fighting. And Saito; she kept it secret but he was her favorite of the group, and not just because he had talked to Kondou about letting the women free.

Hajime Saito was a reserved, solitary man; and loyal from all that she had seen. She had been watching him since their first encounter and found that he was a samurai that used his left hand. She was impressed. It was mainly right handed and for him to go against everyone else and become a left-handed master of Iai, his swordsmanship had to have been one of the best and not even just in the Shinsengumi. It was impressive. Sadly, he and Hijikata were the only two of the entire Shinsengumi who refused to take part in the Okami Pack's 'training exercises'. She had seen him fight only once, that one time in the restaurant, but that was with his fists, not his sword. Everything else had been from practice that he and the others took part in with eachother to keep their skills alive. She liked to watch them. She liked to watch him.

Saito, Captain of the third Squad, did not like to talk and he liked to analyze the situation before jumping in. He was Katsumi's total opposite. Maybe that was why she liked him so much. The sad part about that was, though, that she didn't know enough about him too like. It was…strange.

It was a bit cool outside so Katsumi had locked herself in the kitchen to be by herself. She wasn't a big fan of the cold weather but she had to leave to go meet up with her family. She had never missed a meeting since she had left them and she wasn't going to now. She had to head out, soon. The day was getting close.

She sat at the small table there in the kitchen, leaning her forehead on it as she kept her eyes closed. Her short hair had grown out a little but, now nearly past her shoulders. It warmed the back of her neck as she sat there, planning out her journey in her head and what she was going to do when she arrived back home. Ryoko kept asking if she could come along in the journey to meet her brothers but she didn't think that it was going to be a good idea. Maybe next year she would let her come.

"What the hell?"

The new voice broke the silence and mad Katsumi lift her head from the table and turn to see who had joined her. It was a man, with long brown hair and eyes, dressed in traveling clothes of dark blue and green, a pack sitting on his shoulders. He was standing in the doorway, staring around the kitchen with a look of surprise that just grew bigger when he became aware of the woman sitting at the table.

"A woman? Well, that explains a lot. Shinpachi NEVER would have been able to keep this place clean while I was gone." He seemed to be talking to himself. "But still, to do all the trouble of hiring a maid."

Well, there went Katsumi's silence and calm mood right out the window. "Maid? Excuse me? Who the fuck are you?"

The man took a step back but then seemed to rethink himself and gave a frown. "Who the fuck am I? Who the fuck are you and why are you here in my kitchen?"

"Your kitchen?" the woman growled. "It's out kitchen now, asshole. We're the one that have been cooking and cleaning it!"

"We?" He asked him with a look of surprise. "Which of them have been helping you clean when they refuse to help me?"

Before Katsumi could answer, Ryoko arrived with a sleepy look on her face. She shoved the new man out of her way and walked forward to drop onto the floor beside her friend. "Katsumi, I'm tired but Fuyu won't stop complaining about Hijikata. Can I go to your room?"

"Another one?!" The man cried out, a look of shock on his face. "When the hell did the Shinsengumi start bringing their whores back to the base?"

That knocked the sleep from Ryoko's face. "Whores?" She growled.

"Well, yeah. That's what you two are, aren't you? People Sanosuke and Shinpachi brought back from the bar last night?"

**Moments later, Tsukiko had to look up from her talk with Chika to a bunch of screams. **The five women in the 'main office' of the base all paused in what they were doing to watch as Katsumi and Ryoko pulled a screaming man they had never seen before into the room behind them.

"What are you two doing?" Chika demanded, dropping the letter from her hand.

"Holy shit! There are seven of you?! What the hell? Can Shinpashi not get enough out of just two of you?!"

Fuyu and Chika looked confused but the others got it pretty quickly. Tsukiko narrowed her eyes before jumping up and stomping the man into the ground. His cries called to the other men in the base that day and Sanosuke led the way in with his spear, thinking it was an attack. He took one look of the man beneath Tsukiko's feet and gave a sigh, setting his spear aside.

"Dammit, Daiki. Not even back for an hour and already you're getting your ass kicked." The redhead shook his head, a small smirk on his face.

"Get this crazy bitch off of me!" He glanced at Shinpachi. "Chin, get your girlfriend under restraints!"

The man in green, who had been laughing, now wore an angry look himself before moving forward and giving the other man a few kicks himself. "That…that thing will never, ever be my girlfriend so I don't ever want you to say that again, you got it?!"

"Never refer to me as that beast's woman! I am a warrior, not a moron!" Tsukiko agreed.

"Well," Heisuke sighed. "At least they agree on something." Ryoko gave a laugh.

"Sanosuke," The redhead turned to look at Chika. "Who is this?"

"This is Daiki. He's our cook. He has been gone for the last few months to visit his family for the summer."

"So while he was gone, you just let the kitchen get that bad?" Yumi shook her head. "You men are slobs."

"Hey, don't tie me in with them," Daiki was sitting now, very happy that Shinpachi and Tsukiko had finished beating him. "I like my kitchen clean and perfect, thank you."

"Then you should be thankful," Fuyu hissed at him. "We're the ones that have been keeping it that way."

Daiki glanced between all the women before tilting his head to the side. "Who in the hell are all you ladies? What are you doing here?"

As Sanosuke explained everything to him, Katsumi had her attention drawn to Asami calling her name.

"You plan on leaving soon, don't you?"

"Yes," The woman nodded. "Another week or so and I'll be leaving. I'll be sure to know where to meet up with you guys again before I go."

Asami stared at the woman for a moment before closing her eyes. "I know that you'll be able to take care of yourself, but still be sure to stay safe. I do not want to go searching for you just to find a body."

Katsumi smiled at the older woman. "You shouldn't worry. You know me."

"Yes," A teasing grin spread across Asami's lips. "And that's EXACTLY why I do worry."  
"So, these women have to stay here?" Daiki asked, on his feet now. "But what the hell are we going to do with them?"

"Well, you've seen how much cleaner your kitchen is," Sanosuke smiled. "And Tsukiko's not that bad of a cook herself. They find things for themselves to do. They really don't get in the way. It's actually nice to have a few women around the place rather than just all the men."

"Are you only saying that because you're banging one of them?" Daiki raised a brow.

"Daiki, keep your thoughts to yourself." A soft, firm voice came from the door and a smile spread across Katsumi's face at the sight of Saito standing there. "The women are honorable and I am sure that they don't want to hear your comments."

Daiki flushed and then glanced at the women. "My apologies. My mouth moves before I can think." Katsumi's brow twitched. She knew that the cook was only apologizing for Saito. She wasn't going to forget any of what he had said.

"Is something wrong, Saito?" Heisuke asked, tilting his head to the side.

Saito closed his eyes for a moment. "Isami has returned and wishes to see you in his room, Asami."

The quiet woman stood up and left the room. Saito had paused for a moment and exchanged a silent look with Katsumi before following the other woman. Katsumi had a grin spread across her face.

"What's got you so happy?" Ryoko asked.

The older woman shook her head. "Nothing, really. I'm just ready to go."

Sanosuke and the others had left with Daiki to go and make some dinner, leaving the women in the room to themselves as they awaited for Asami to come back. They had begun a second card game when she finally returned, sliding the door shut behind her.

"What did he want?" Yumi asked her as she and Fuyu made a spot for her to sit between them.

Asami was silent for a moment. "Isami told me that one of his men came to him last week, telling him to let us go."

"Let us go? Really?" Ryoko sounded surprised. "Which one did that?"

"He would not say." Asami shook her head. "That next morning, Isami left to go argue on our behalf."

"But why?" Yumi was clearly surprised, as were the rest of them. "Why would he do that?"

"It seems that Kondou is a gentleman, not a beast when it comes to women," Tsukiko answered her. "What did he say to you?"

"We still cannot leave the Shinsengumi." Asami answered her. Katsumi's smile fell and she felt her anger flaring up again.

"Well, that's not surprising," Chika crossed her arms, the mood of the room fouling."

"So, that's it?" Fuyu asked. "We're just supposed to stay here, wasting away?"

"That's not what he told me." Everyone seemed to lean in further to hear it. "We cannot leave the Shinsengumi but we have been given permission to rejoin the ranks, as long as we try not to bring too much attention to us."

As the others went off, Katsumi didn't know what to say. She wanted to be free and on the road again but at the same time she was relieved that they were no longer stuck in the rooms of the base. She as going to be free to move again, so she should be happy about that, shouldn't she?

**Please Review! I like to know what you all think :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**I OWN NOTHING BUT THE STORY LINE AND THE CHARACTERS THAT YOU DON****'T KNOW FROM THE ANIME/MANGA!**

**This is when the good stuff starts guys, get ready :)**

_**Chapter Seven**_

_**Past Interruptions**_

"**Not what I had been expecting, but I will gladly take it."**

Saito glanced at the woman that stood beside him. Katsumi had joined him on his route in the city that next afternoon. He had been hoping that the women were released from the Shinsengumi but that did not happen. Instead the Okami Pack had been added as their 'partners' once again. Saito understood that Katsumi had been excited about being released from the Shinsengumi so he knew she was disappointed about being forced to stay there with the men.

Katsumi wore a blank face as her hands were on her hips, gazing around the packed city. She was getting looks again but she ignored them all. The city was still the same as every day. Children playing with eachother. Men trying to pick up women(both drunk and sober). Salesmen standing in the streets, calling out prices to passerbys. Normally the food would affect the young woman but she seemed to ignore it. Katsumi seemed to ignore everything that was going on and the Samurai beside her, believe it or not, felt responsible for it.

Saito closed his eyes as they continued to slowly move through the street. "I apologize, Yamaguchi," He used her last name. Now that she and the others were going to be stuck here with them, he had to treat her like one. "Kondou tried but the men still feel that releasing you would turn out into a bad idea. Maybe a little further into the future would be better to ask again."

"Maybe," The woman gave a soft sigh. "No need to feel bad about it, Saito. Just gonna have to deal with it, now." She then gave a small chuckle. "I wonder how Tsukiko is doing."

Saito closed his eyes again. Tsukiko was, once again, Shinpachi's partner. They both were completely annoyed with that and refused to stick to the team…until Kondou forced them to. Both she and Saito were glad that Sanosuke and Yumi had to deal with the two of them at night as Saito and Katsumi were on their own. Ryoko and Chika were still left with Heisuke and Okita, leaving Hijikata to take care of Fuyu and her aunt, Asami. Hijikata hadn't been too happy about being left with two of the women, but Asami wasn't much of a talker so the two of them fit in together; especially when Fuyu decided to be the one to make 'problems'. They both knew how to put a stop to that really quick.

Katsumi stretched her arms behind her back and gave a smile as a few kids ran by with a ball. It reminded her of her brothers all those years ago. She used to either be sweeping the dirt out of the house or right in the middle of the pack. With the thought of that, she began to think about the trip to see her family again soon. Just a big problem, now that the Pack was stuck to the Shinsengumi. Were they going to let her go? It was a ritual for the Yamaguchi family to meet together at their old family home; had been for years. She prayed that Kondou doesn't put a stop to that. Maybe if she swore to come back…or left something here to make sure she came back.

"Saito," She began. "Do you have family?"

The man turned and looked at her. "Family?"

"Yeah. Brothers? Sisters?"

He paused for a moment. "I did, once. I haven't spoken with my family since I joined with Hijikata and the others. They did not…accept my ways, in the nice way to say."

"Accept your ways?" Katsumi lifted a brow. "Are you talking about you being left handed?" He glanced at her, a little surprised. He knew that she knew how to wield a sword but he just…hadn't expected her to pay that close attention. Especially to him. "That's kind of foolish, isn't it?"

"Samurai are supposed to be right-handed." He tried to tell her.

"Yeah, and use swords, not spears." She made a stab at Harada. "Why should it matter if you're left handed and not right handed? That's just people going out and searching for problems. Ignore them." She gave him a smile. "You kick ass the way you are now. You have honor that they don't. Changing it would be a bad idea. Just ignore the other goons. They're envious."

Saito stared at the woman for a moment before walking ahead of her in the street. Katsumi watched after the silent men for a moment before stepping after him. His dark violet hair cascaded down his right shoulder just as that white scarf did around his neck as he wore the blue Shinsengumi Haori around his shoulders. A small grin spread across her face again.

This man didn't know how to talk to women. It was apparent to see; and amusing. Maybe teasing him in the city this afternoon would be amusing. It would make her feel better, after all. She quickened her step and moved on ahead of the Captain of the third Squad. She could feel his eyes on her back as she moved forward to one of the stores but she ignored it as much as she could as her plan expanded.

Saito watched her disappear into the small shop and paused, wondering what she was doing. He was confused on her actions and raised a brow as she returned out to him, a treat in her hands. He stared at her as she held one of them out to him. It was a Wagashi; a Daifuku. The small, cute white pastry made the young samurai raise a brow.

The woman gave a frown. "I didn't poison it," She told him.

The man stared at it for another moment before reaching out and grabbing it; he took a small bite from it as he started to walk down the street again; she followed. Had Saito never eaten one of these before? Or did he really not trust her?

Katsumi watched from the corner of her eyes as the quiet, stoic man beside her let a small smile spread across his lips as he took another bite. A grin took over her face as she continued herself, pleased. More and more children passed around them, either playing ball or pretending to be samurai as the Shinsengumi continued to patrol the city. She felt…at peace for the moment, believe it or not. Inside the Shinsengumi grounds she felt caged like an animal but walking around out here like this, it was completely different. Maybe she could get used to something like this…

"I'm telling you, it's going to grow into a problem!" The man's voice caught Katsumi's attention, bringing her to a small pause. "You need to get rid of them, now! Before they do something they shouldn't."

"And if we do something now that they're already here," The elder man he was arguing with replied. "It'll just make it worse. Do what they want and we'll be fine when they're gone."

"But father-"

"I wonder what's wrong." She whispered aloud in a thoughtful tone.

"Rude customers, it seems." Katsumi gave a little jump; she hadn't noticed that Saito had paused beside her. "The elder man is the owner of the Inn."

Katsumi gave a nod. "There's always a few. One would think to be smart and peaceful in public but you always have the fools.'

"Indeed." Saito closed his eyes. "Let's continue."

~Five months of staying here with these men,~ Katsumi chuckled to herself. ~And still I can't understand what goes through his mind. He guards it.~ It was like a game. A game that she planned on beating. It would be entertaining to do so while they were stuck here. It would make time fly anyway, wouldn't?

As their day came to an end, they met up with Sanosuke and Yumi. The two of them seemed to be in a good mood.

"So, anything we need to keep an eye on?" Yumi greeted with a smile.

"Nothing too out of the ordinary," Katsumi answered her. "Same stuff, different day."

Saito apparently had different ideas. "I want you to keep an eye on the Inn tonight." He told Sanosuke.

The red-haired man looked surprised. "The Inn?"

"Yes. The owner and his son were having problems with someone earlier. Just to make sure, Harada."

Sanosuke nodded his head. "Not a problem, Hajime. I'll take care of it. When we see Shinpachi and Tsukiko we'll let them know as well."

"Good."

Yumi and Tsukiko were out in the city and Fuyu was in her room, not feeling too good today. Chika and Ryoko were down in the kitchen with Daiki as he prepared dinner and Asami was speaking with Isami and Hijikata in the 'office'. Saito had slunk off somewhere with Okita, leaving Katsumi to herself in the garden. She had laid back on the walkway, soaking in the warm sun as the cool air passed over her. It would begin to get cold any day now; she was waiting on it.

She must have fallen into a small nap because dreams of her childhood flooded her mind. How she took care of her brothers as their father worked in the city. She and the boys took care of the animals and the small gardens they had for food. It wasn't a good life, but it wasn't bad, either. It was hard but it had taught her many, many things that she would keep with her until the end of her own life.

"Are you all right?"

Katsumi was pulled from her dreams at the voice that came from nowhere and opened her eyes to glance at the man that stood over her. It was Yamanami Keisuke; everyone called him Sannan. He was the 2nd Vice Commander on the Shinsengumi, under Toshizo. The man was in his middle twenties at the height of 5'7' with long, dark brown hair, hazel eyes, and glasses. Katsumi had never really…did anything with Sannan so didn't really know how to act towards him. From what she did know, though, was that he appeared to be a soft-spoken man who didn't like to make trouble for others. He also seemed to deeply care for his friends, the other Captains, and held deep admiration and respect for Hijikata. She pushed herself up to a sitting position as she stretched, taking note of the sun beginning to fall.

"Yeah, just a little nap, it seems."

Sannan gave a smile and took a seat beside her, hanging his feet over the side of the walkway. "Those are always good, but you need to be careful out here." She glanced at him. "Many of the samurai here hold honor and respect for women, but there are still a few that would…take advantage on finding you out here by yourself, close to the Captains or not."

Katsumi opened her mouth to object to that, to claim that she could take care of herself, but she caught her voice. Sannan was just trying to keep her safe. There was no need for her to be upset with him over that. Instead, she gave a smile. "I'll keep that in mind. I apologize for worrying you."

He shook his head. "Don't apologize, there's no trouble in making sure you and your friends stay safe while you are here. After all," Sannan gave a soft flush as he glanced away from her. "It's nice to have women around the grounds."

Katsumi gave a small laugh. "Tired of seeing men all the time, huh?" She teased. His face grew redder. "Well, at least you haven't found yourself attracted to other men. To be honest, the first few days here I was a bit worried. It would have been awful for all the cute guys around to have only eyes for eachother."

Sannan gave another laugh, this time loud. "I wonder what Shinpachi and Sanosuke would say to that if they heard you speak that way."

"Ah, so the two of them are the lovers, are they?"

"Very much so," the man told her. "If they don't have missions the next day, they normally don't come home, though Sanosuke controls himself a bit more than Shinpachi does."

"Another reason why Tsukiko and Shinpachi will not get along," She told him. "She despises men like that."

Sannan gave a sigh as he continued to smile. "It seems that your friend doesn't like many things."

"Tsukiko is…hard to understand if you don't know her story." Katsumi replied.

"Would it be dislikable for me to ask?"

The woman stared at the man beside her thoughtfully for a moment before giving a soft nod. "As long as you don't tell anyone, I don't see why. She doesn't like her story to be told too often. I believe I can trust you." Sannan watched her as she leaned against the beam to her right. "Tsukiko Hayashi is a half-breed. Her mother was Scottish, her father Japanese. He was a samurai that's ship had crashed on Scotland one winter night. No ships were to set sail for the rest of the winter, leaving him stranded in a land he had never been too and had no idea how to communicate with. It was there he met Tsukiko's mother. They couldn't speak to eachother at first, but her own mother was a teacher so they had somehow learned each other's language. When winter finally passed and Spring started, the samurai decided to stay in Scotland and learn more about this woman and her country. He was accepted by her family and by spring the year after, Tsukiko was born. Sadly, her mother was not…able to recover from the birth. The samurai refused to live in the country his wife loved and took their child back to Japan with him. He wasn't able to recover from her passing and slowly began to waste away, leaving Tsukiko on her own as a child. She was seen as an outsider due to her heritage and her father and had begun to harden into what you see now. It wasn't until about the age of twelve that Asami found her and took her in as a second niece about 13."

"So she's been with Asami since she was young." Sannan commented.

"We all have been." Katsumi nodded. "I've been with them since I was about 14; almost ten years. Ryoko joined us at about two years ago at 15, Yumi 7 years ago at 18, Chika 10 years at 14, and Fuyu has been with Asami since she could remember."

"Asami looks much too young to be Fuyu's aunt, though." Sannan commented. "But at the same time they look much alike."

"I've always wondered about that too, but it's not much a matter," Katsumi shrugged her shoulders. "She looks young, but she's always been like that. To be honest, I don't think Asami has aged a day since I met her. She got good genes, or something." The man nodded, thinking for a moment.

"She's just lucky," A voice joined them. "I envy her."

Katsumi gave a smile and watched as Yumi approached her. "Hey, how did it go?"

"Same as always, nothing too different." The woman gave a yawn. "The little Inn tidbit that you and Saito had us check on was a little entertaining though."

"Oh? And what makes you say that?"

"A group of men just causing problems. It made the night less boring. The Inn-owner didn't like the thought of his daughters being hit on or his sons being bossed around by the morons they were serving."

"Jerks." Katsumi hissed as Sannan lifted his head.

"What did you do about it?"

Yumi crossed her arms. "We put a stop to it when one of the men dragged a son outside. I wanted to see Sanosuke chop off a hand or a foot but he was able to calm the men down. They're leaving in the morning."

"Stupid morons." Katsumi hissed again, leaning back down on the board again. "I would beaten the crap out of them."

"Be glad that they're leaving in the morning." Sannan told her. "The less trouble there is, the better."

"I agree," Yumi nodded. "Besides, we don't want Bandits bringing too much trouble with them."

"Bandits?" Sannan and Katsumi asked together in surprise. Katsumi had sat back up, brows raised.

Yumi sighed. "Well, we weren't too sure, but Sanosuke said that he recognized the symbol on one of the men."

"Who did he say they were?" Sannan asked with a frown.

"Some Ogre or something stupid like that…" She searched her head for the word.

"The Bandits of Orgo?" Yumi glanced at Katsumi. Her eyes were wide as she stared at her friend.

"Yeah, that's it." She nodded. "Do you-" She paused in her words. Katsumi had jumped from her seat and took off down the hall as fast as she could; in direction of the gates of the compound.

Sannan stood to his feet as well, a frown on his face. "It seems that she knows the name."

"A little more than just the name." Yumi nodded. The look on the other woman's face before she jumped to her feet made Yumi's blood run cold. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Sannan nodded. "I'll go and inform Hijikata and a few of the others. Follow her, just in case."

Both of them hurried off in their own directions, neither of them noticing Saito as he disappeared into the shadows behind them.

**Please Review! I like to know what you all think :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**I OWN NOTHING BUT THE STORY LINE AND THE CHARACTERS THAT YOU DON****'T KNOW FROM THE ANIME/MANGA!**

_**Chapter Eight**_

_**Nowhere**_

**They had been searching for her, but Katsumi refused to allow herself to be found. **It had her waiting well past midnight before she could move again, but she would be willing to wait. She had been waiting.

Katsumi sat on the roof of the building beside the Inn, watching as Sannan, Yumi, and several others had moved through the area, looking for her but she had hidden from them. She wasn't going to let herself get caught doing this. She would succeed. The Bandits of Orgo were finally hers.

The last few years, the Bandits had just disappeared, leaving Katsumi alone with her thoughts. She had been trying to find them for years now. For them to show up, of all places, she found herself secretly thanking Kondou making her and the others stay here. If they had left, then she might not have even run into the Bandits again for the rest of her life.

Slowly moving down the roof of this building, Katsumi slid down into the backyard of the Inn. She knew which room the Bandits were in. A few of them had been outside, drinking earlier. She watched them talk. She couldn't hear their words but the symbol on their clothes had been what she was looking for.

She felt sweat slip down her skin and excitement travel through her veins. Finally, after all this time, her revenge had finally come. Her time…it was all getting closer.

She thought that they would be asleep, but they weren't. She and moved silently against the walkways of the rooms of the Inn and paused, crouched underneath the window to the room her was there for. She could see three of the seven men inside still awake, talking amongst eachother. She began to plan her tactics when the talking reached her ears.

"Where is it that we're headed?"

"Well, we were supposed to be heading towards Edo, but Boss has changed it. We're heading towards the mountains instead for the winter. The others are all supposed to meet us there."

"The mountains? What's there?"

"I'm not sure. There's just something that they have for us, I guess. He wouldn't give me details."

~Details, Details,~ She chuckled to herself as she grabbed her blade. ~It won't matter once I move in and-~

The hand was over her mouth before she could even move. "Do not move," the voice whispered in her ear. "Stay silent." Her heart was pounding in her ears and she turned her head to glance over her shoulder. Relief, and anger, passed through her. It was Saito. The man's eyes were cold and hard as he stared at her. He was crouched down behind her and slowly moved his legs backward, dragging her behind him. Knowing that she was caught, Katsumi closed her eyes and let go of her sword, waddling backwards after the man.

Saito's hand stayed over her mouth until they had backed far enough away from the Bandits room. It then moved to grasp her wrist and pulled her up to her feet, dragging her behind him and away from the Inn. She didn't say a word and just let the samurai lead her back to the base. She was expecting him to take her to Hijikata or even Asami but instead she found them outside the base, the wall opposite the entrance.

Raising a brow, she stared at the man before her for a moment. He continued to stare at her with that cold gaze for a moment before finally turning his back to her. He stared across the land in silence for a moment before beginning to speak.

"You sat there for hours," Saito's voice was hard. "Ignoring the others as I am sure you saw them looking for you, calling for you."

"And?" Her voice was sharp. "You guys shouldn't have come looking for me. I can take care of-."

"You are still under the watch of the Shinsengumi, whether or not you want to be." His voice made her voice catch. Saito turned back to stare at her. "You and the others have been seen working with us. If you were to get caught, killing the Bandits then you would drag us down with you. I won't let you do it."

"Then let me go, dammit!" She stomped a foot at him. "I don't want to be here in the first place! Let me do what I planned and then Kurina and I will be out of your hair!"

"Kurina," Saito hissed the name. How many people did he know named their sword? "One would think that there's something wrong with the mind of someone who talked to their blade."

"Say all you want," Katsumi narrowed her eyes at him. "Tease all you want, but it doesn't matter. You don't know anything about me so who are you to judge what I do?"

"When you sneak out at night to kill someone, what else can I do?" Saito's yell caught Katsumi off guard. Normally his voice was quiet. Whenever he got serious, his voice was hard or cold. Never before had she heard him yell. The samurai cleared his throat, calming himself down for a moment before turning back to the woman. "Woman or not, you are a samurai, aren't you? True samurai do not attack in the dead of night. They proudly strike, others watching."

Katsumi closed her eyes. "We did, when Samurai had just been created. Nowadays, its first come first serve, no matter what you want to believe. Hell, swords are beginning to be left behind as those idiots oversea create new, stupid weapons to shoot with." She leaned against the wall and pulled her blade from her belt, holding it in her hands as she slid down to the ground. "Sooner or later, all that I learned…all that I know…all that I cherish…it will all be gone."

Saito stared at her, confused. Her voice had begun to break. Something was going on through her head, stressing her out, but what was it? What had those Bandits done to make her this…this bad? Or was it just everything, piling up on her? He didn't know anything about what had happened with her before she and the others were forced here with him and the others. Everything must have piled up on top of her. She had changed since the time the Okami Pack had joined them.

Saito gave a silent sigh and followed her movements, sliding into a seat beside her. He looked at his own blades for a moment before closing his eyes. "Your sword, what made you name it? Why do you love it so much?"

Katsumi was silent for a moment as she stared down at the blade. A small, sad smile spread across her lips. "After…after I left my family at the farm, I traveled to Edo first, looking for something to excite me. I was looking for something different from the farm-life and it came to me in a way that I regret." She took a breath. "Apparently, women aren't supposed to walk around on their own in the streets. A group had grabbed me that night and dragged me into an alleyway. I don't like thinking about what they were trying to do. I struggled as hard as I could reaching for things in the garbage to hit them with when I found her. Kurina. I don't know why someone had thrown a blade such as this away. It was in perfect condition; brand new. If I hadn't of found it…" Her grip tightened on the handle. "It saved my life. I haven't let go of it since. It was right after the last man fell that I found Asami, watching me from the street. I had been expecting her to call for the police but instead she took me in and introduced me to the others and taught me. I've been with them all ever since."

Saito glanced at her as everything fell to silence again. He found himself remembering when he had joined Kondou and the others in their own little group. He remembered the first fight he had with Okita, if you can call it a fight and not the two of them actually trying to kill eachother.

The two of them sat there in silence, neither of them caring to move for a while until something began to land on his head. Opening his eyes, he watched as Katsumi reached out with her right hand in time to catch a small snowflake as the white flecks floated down around them. He watched her as she stared at the flake for a moment before she took a breath and blew it away back into the air. She leaned her head back and watched the snow fall a small, sad grin was on her lips.

"Winter is finally here," She spoke after a few moments. "Now all I have to do is wait…just wait and the snow will wash it all away."

Saito didn't understand what she meant. All he did know was that it had to do with her past. Did this go with whatever it was that the Bandits of Orgo did to her? Was it all connected?

"Come." Saito was finally tired of being out here. Standing to his feet, he turned and held his hand out to help the woman up. "Let's go get some rest before tomorrow afternoon."

Katsumi was still for a moment before letting him pull her to her feet. Saito pulled a frown. Her skin was freezing. He should have taken her inside sooner than just sitting out here.

Only a few men were up, keeping guard over the base and gave silent nods to Saito as he led Katsumi through the base. The woman stayed silent and just followed as he led her to the room that she and Chika shared. She opened her door to enter, but froze. A small smile spread across her face.

Yumi, Ryoko, Fuyu, and Chika were spread out across the floor, candles scattered around them, burn out.

"They were waiting for you to return," The voice made Saito and Katsumi turn to find Asami standing there to the right. She long black hair was pulled into a braid over her left shoulder as she was dressed in a white robe. One would think that she had just awoken, but her eyes were sharp as she gazed over the younger woman. "Refused to sleep until you came back and joined them."

"I can see that," Katsumi's voice was low as she stared down over the four girls. It reminded her so much of her brothers. So much that it hurt. She couldn't wait to go and see her family again. She missed them so much.

"I am not going to ask you where you went, Asami had turned to move back to her own room. "All I can say is that I hope you didn't do anything foolish."

"No, I…" She glanced at Saito. "My conscience caught ahold of me before I could do anything."

Saito looked at her for a moment before turning to head to his own room. He wouldn't sleep that night though. It was too late to do that.

"Hey, Saito," He paused and glanced back at the woman. She was still staring into her room, gazing over the four that had been waiting for her. "I'm sorry for all of that…and…thank you."

He turned his head again and moved down to his room. ~Why thank me?~ He asked himself.

Katsumi glanced at his retreating form for a moment before slipping into her room and stepping over the bodies to make it to her own bed. Ryoko was half in it, half out it, in what looked to be an uncomfortable position. She gave a silent laugh as she tilted Kurina again the wall and began to change.

"I knew that you'd come back." She gave a soft jump and turned to glance down at the young woman staring up at her. "Fuyu was afraid that you had run away when we couldn't find you, but I knew…I knew you wouldn't leave us."

Katsumi gave a smile as she sat down on the bed. Ryoko moved closer to the woman and hugged her. "Of course not," She told her quietly. "I won't ever leave my family behind." She closed her eyes. "Never again."

**Please Review! I like to know what you all think :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**I OWN NOTHING BUT THE STORY LINE AND THE CHARACTERS THAT YOU DON****'T KNOW FROM THE ANIME/MANGA!**

_**Chapter Nine**_

_**Permission**_

"**So, you want to tell me what's on your mind?**

Katsumi glanced at Daiki for a moment, not sure how to approach this. They were in the kitchen, the man making dinner for the night.

"Daiki, how long have you been with the Shinsengumi?"

"Well, five years ago, my father was a warrior here before he was killed and I just…sorta stayed, I suppose. Not like I had anywhere else to go."

"So, you're just a cook?"

Daiki turned to look at her like she was a moron. "Does this body look like it's used just to cook?" He gave off a set of poses so she could see his muscles.

She grinned. "You and Shinpachi get along just fine, don't you?"

He hung his head as if in shame. "Yes…" He then glanced up at her again. "But what does this have to do with what's wrong with you?"

Katsumi was silent for a moment, drawing circles on the table with her finger, trying to figure out how to go about this. "Well, I need…some advice."

"Advice?"

"Yeah."

"Concerning?"

"Concerning…Kondou."

Daiki froze and turned back to face the woman. "Look lady, I'm glad you got a thing for the boss but you need to be asking a woman about this, not me. I don't swing that way."

Katsumi's cheeks turned red. "Not that kind of advice!" She calmed her voice down. "How do I approach him with a favor?"

Daiki was still for a moment before giving her a smile. "Well, with Kondou, for anything you need, it would just be better to approach him face first and just ask. It's better that way, especially with Hijikata there, too. Toshizo doesn't like to play games."

"It's a wonder how he puts up with Fuyu then."

Daiki gave a laugh. "Indeed. But seriously, just come out and as ask him. Kondou is a kind man, especially to women."

Katsumi nodded. "I suppose he would be, wouldn't he?"

"Well, if I were you, I'd go ahead and go ask now before dinner instead of when everyone else is around. You might get a better answer, depending on what your question is."

Katsumi gave another nod. "Yes. Thanks for the help, Daiki. If I'm allowed, I'll try and bring you something special."

"Oh, I do like gifts from women," He teased her. "A night with any of you fine ladies would be payment enough."

Katsumi gave him a laugh as she left the kitchen. "In your dreams, Daiki." She moved down the halls of the base, giving herself strength to get her answer. She was going to ask permission to leave to go and see her family. She feared Kondou saying that she couldn't because if that happened then she would be getting the others in trouble when she left anyway. That was the last thing that she wanted to happen. She would come back after visiting with her family, but she had to assure the leader of the Shinsengumi that. Isami was a kind man though. Hopefully she could catch him alone; that meant without Hijikata.

It's not that Katsumi didn't like Hijikata, she never really talked to him, but she knew that whatever he said, Isami would do. If he said no, then so would Isami. At least, that's what Fuyu had told her the night before.

As she was allowed entrance to Isami's 'office' though, her heart began to fall. Hijikata was there, Okita as well.

"Ah, Yamaguchi," Isami smiled as he motioned for her to sit before him. "How are you this evening?"

She gave Okita and Hijikata a look as she took her seat. ~Now is not the time to show you're nervous,~ She told herself. ~Keep calm and just ask.~

"I'm fine. Winter has come to take its toll on us so the patrols are going to be a bit tougher but nothing much to complain about. Yourselves?" She looked at all of them.

"Wonderful!" Isami smiled.

"Quite pleasant," Okita told her with that look on his face again. (Come on ladies, if you know Okita then you know just what look I speak of)

Hijikata just stared at her in silence, as if trying to figure out what she wanted. ~Why hide it any longer? Get it over with, like Daiki said.~

"I…I have a favor I must ask of you," She began, folding her hands on her lap.

Isami's smile fell into a serious look now as the duo watched in silence. "A favor?"

"Yes. Nothing serious, just…something that is important. To me, at least." When he didn't respond, she cleared her throat. "I ask for permission to leave the Shinsengumi grounds to visit my family." She didn't pause to hear the answer. She had to tell him everything. "Over the last ten or so years, my brothers and I have always returned to our parents' house during the second week of winter to see eachother again. Next week all of my family will be there, waiting on me and I can't just not appear. It's been a tradition and if I'm not there they will worry." She took a breath. "This isn't a ploy to try and leave the Shinsengumi grounds and not return; believe it or not I've grown…used to this place and want to come back. I just need to see my brothers again. I can't go a whole two years without…" Her words paused at the look on Isami's face.

He looked like he was about to cry. "Such…such a loving sister!" He wiped his eyes on the back of his sleeve. Hijikata gave a sigh as he stared at the other man with laughing eyes as Okita just shook his head, eyes closed.

"Just where is your house?" Hijikata asked her as Isami cleared away his tears.

"It's in the country, just outside of Edo. No more than an hour's travel." Katsumi answered, her hopes rising.

"So, you would be traveling to Edo, you say?" Okita began to rub his chin, exchanging a look with the long-haired man beside him.

She pulled a face. "Yes. Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, not at all!" Isami assured her with a smile on his face. "It's just that we have some business to take care of in Edo. We were going to dispatch a Squad soon. Would it bother you in goin with them instead of by yourself?"

She pulled a frown. "As long as they don't follow me to the house in search of food and bedding."

"They'll stay in Edo," Hijikata assured her. "Hajime will see to that."

"S-Saito?!" She squawked in surprised. "He'd be going?!"

"Why of course," Okita gave her one of his smiles. "A Captain has to go to take care of the mission, after all. Besides, the two of you are partners already. You should be just fine in traveling with eachother, don't you think?"

What could Katsumi really say to that? She had wanted to go and she had permission to go as long as she stayed with Saito. How could she complain about that?

"It's set then," Isami grinned. "Saito and his team will be leaving in the morning. I shall inform him of your company tonight."

Katsumi gave a nod. "Thank you."

"**Be sure to be careful, Katsumi. **You will be with a bunch of men this time instead of on your own!" Chika teased her friend the next morning. The members of the Okami Pack had been up all night, waiting for the group to leave that next morning. Now they all stood at the gate as Saito and his men got their things together.

"Now, now," Yumi chuckled. "Saito's the gentleman of the Shinsengumi. He won't let anything happen to Katsumi nor try anything on her."

"Yumi's right," Tsukiko nodded. "Katsumi will be fine." She glanced at her friend. "Right?"

Katsumi gave a laugh, scratching the back of her head. "You know me."

"That's why she's worried." Fuyu teased. She dodged a kick from Katsumi.

"I wish I could go with you," Ryoko frowned, glancing down at her feet. "I hate it when you leave."

Katsumi gave a small smile. Every one of the Okami Pack knew that Ryoko was attached to Katsumi more than Fuyu was to Asami. She placed a hand of the younger one's head. "Don't worry, Ryoko. I'll be back sooner than you think. And I'll be fine. Aren't I always?"

"But…why can't I go with you?" Ryoko asked her. "I wanna meet your brothers too, you know. We all do!"

"Ryoko," Chika locked her arm around her neck. "It's a family gathering. It's a personal thing. Besides, after we leave the Shinsengumi and get to traveling again, I have no doubt in my mind that we'll run into one of her brothers and you can meet them then, all right?"

Ryoko hung her head. "Y-yeah…"

"And if you run into any trouble," Yumi locked her fist and held her arm up. "Give them hell, compliments of the Okami Pack."

Katsumi gave a huge grin and copied her movement, bumping their arms together. "You got it."

"Yamaguchi," They turned to see that Saito had called for her, his men on the move as the sun could be seen rising in the horizon.

Pulling her jacket tighter around her, she gave each of the girls another hug and turned to hurry after the men.

"Katsumi," Asami's voice caught her and she turned to the woman again. "Séjour averti. Dièse de séjour. Revenez à nous indemnes."

Katsumi pulled a happy face and gave a smile and a wave. "Always, Asami. Always!" She turned and hurried after Saito and the others as the women continued to call out their goodbyes. The cold wind hit her face as more snow began to fall as she caught up to Saito.

_**Stay Aware. Stay Sharp. Return to us unharmed.**_

**Please Review! I like to know what you all think :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**I OWN NOTHING BUT THE STORY LINE AND THE CHARACTERS THAT YOU DON****'T KNOW FROM THE ANIME/MANGA!**

_**Chapter Ten**_

_**Smart and Humble**_

"**So, just what mission are you here on?"**

Saito turned his head for a moment as they continued to trudge through the snow. They weren't that far from Edo, now. He could see it off in the distance, outlined as the sun began to rise that morning. Katsumi was keeping pace with him as his men were lagging a bit behind due to the early hours of the day. The woman held a happy look on her face ad he could have sworn she had just given a skip or two. She must have been very happy to come see her brothers again.

"A man and his family had taken a trip to Kyoto about a week before the snow began to fall. While there, the report says that they had stolen a certain important trinket from one of the noble families that live there."

"And you were sent her to retrieve the said trinket?" Katsumi's voice plainly said that she thought it was stupid. He silently agreed.

"We would not have given it a second thought if Kondou hadn't been told to send men to retrieve it. He must follow orders, like the rest of us."

"Yeah, I guess so," The woman folded her hands behind her head. "So, why so many samurai to come with you? You and I could have handled this on our own."

"In the words of Kondou; better safe than sorry."

"I'll give him that one," She chuckled. "You can never know what to expect from men nowadays. Sometimes foolish, sometimes ignorant. Most of them are…except you, Hajime," Saito glanced at her again, looking at the small smile on her face as she stared ahead of them, Edo getting closer. "Like I said those months ago when the Okami Pack met the Shinsengumi. You are the smart one."

He closed his eyes for a moment. "No, I'm not. I'm just…" Saito couldn't think of what to say. That seemed to happen a lot lately, especially around this woman. Especially after the night he had kept her from attack to Orgo Bandits. Normally he was aloof and shy to women but since Katsumi had arrive, he found himself talking to her more than he did to the others in the Shinsengumi. And he wasn't the only one that noticed it, either. Okita had noticed as well and had shot some remarks at him. "I'm just…"

Katsumi gave a giggle. "Smart and humble. Sometimes I wonder how you even got involved in the Shinsengumi in the first place, Hajime. Surprised you're not even married yet."

"Married?" He asked her, his voice coming out shocked.

"Yeah. Any woman would be lucky to have someone like you, Saito." Katsumi told him honestly. "I, on the other hand, don't plan on getting married."

That caught the man off guard for a moment. "And just why is that?"

"Because a set of hands covered in blood are not meant to hold a child, don't you think?" She gave a sad smile. "And in the end, my hands will just keep getting redder and redder. It will just bring foul fate upon my loved ones, don't you think?"

Saito stared at her in shock for a moment. She seemed to say a lot of things that shocked him. His mind thought quickly. "But isn't this what you've been waiting for?" She glanced at him in confusion. "You said you couldn't wait for winter because it washes everything away. Wouldn't it be able to wash the red away as well?"

She turned back to the road ahead of them to see that they had arrived at the gates of Edo. "Perhaps," She answered him. "If the red hasn't already been there long enough to permanently stain me."

Saito stared at her for a moment. This woman... "I was the first born of the admired Hajime clan here. A samurai clan." He began as they entered the city.

Katsumi nodded. "I knew I recognized the name. Who'd have thought that we lived so close together. We might have been friends if I came to the city often. Curse my father's luck in being a countryman farmer." She laughed to herself.

He closed his eyes. "However, I was frowned upon for not being right-handed. One day, when a fellow clansman challenged me to a duel and I won. I was soon accused of murder and was exiled from my clan." Katsumi didn't say a word but, from the corner of his eye, he could see the enraged frown and look on her face. It was some time later that I found myself as the Shieikan dojo. That is where I met Souji and the others. And I've been with them ever since. Neither a family nor a wife has ever really occurred to me. I have never given it much thought before."

"Maybe you should give it a thought, Saito," She told him. "I think that you would make a great father…eventually." She teased. He gave her a frown, but felt himself trying not to smile at her.

The mission was not that hard to begin. It was easy to find who they were looking for. The Nobleman was a chicken, dropping his knees and crying for forgiveness the moment that Saito told them what they were here for. He didn't even use his guards to fight them off, instantly making the other members of the Shinsengumi upset with traveling this far for nothing.

Saito was about to tell his men to go off on their own when he was caught by the sight of a young girl selling flowers on the street. He paused, watching as Katsumi moved forward and talked to the child for a moment before buying some. He had thought that she was trying to be sweet but the moment she bought eight of both kinds he knew that she had bought them for her brothers.

"You're brothers like flowers?" He asked her when she moved back to him.

"Lotus' are Haru's and Haruo's favorites, the twins. Chrysanthemums are Juro's favorite, as well as Kei's. Minori loves Azaleas while Satoshi adores the cherry blossoms. If I could bring each of them their favorite flower in the wintertime then I would."

Saito counted that she only spoke of six brothers. "What about your other brother?"

"Yoshiro?" She chuckled. "He hates flowers, period. Liked the burn the ones I planted around the house until he attacked the cherry blossom tree. You should have seen little Satoshi go on his rampage against the eldest of the boys." She gave a laugh, remembering the event she was talking about. "There will never be another like it, I'm sure."

Saito couldn't help but give a small smile out. You could tell that she cared very much about her brothers. "The eight of you are very close, it seems."

"Of course. I raised them, after all."

Saito opened his mouth to ask what she meant when one of his men approached him.

"Sir, what are our orders for now?" Saito hadn't thought of that. Now that they were finished with their mission, they could most likely do anything they wanted, as long as it was nothing to wild. They would rest here in Edo for the night before returning to Kyoto.

"Well, now that your mission is done," Katsumi turned from the man beside her. "I shall be on my way."

"Wait," The word had left Saito's mouth before he knew it and he had to work his mind quickly, surprised with himself. "I don't think it's a good idea to go off on your own."

Katsumi turned back to look at him. "I appreciate your concern, Hajime, but it's not needed. I can take care of myself. Rest here with your men."

Her words stung. It was like her telling him that he wasn't needed. Why did it sting? Why did he care what she went off to do?

"You will not be going off on your own," Saito told her firmly. "So, would you rather all of us follow you, or just myself?"

Katsumi stared at him for a moment before giving a sigh and succumbing to him. "Just you." She turned to lead the way out of the city. He was surprised. Saito had been expecting an argument but she hadn't given one like she normally did. Then again, she had been acting rather strange since the journey started. But why? "Just…just don't be mean when you meet them, okay? My brothers are very precious to me."

Saito stared at her in confusion. Why would she think that he would be mean to them? He stayed silent as he moved to follow her, giving his men a sign to do their own thing, rather interested in meeting the family of the woman before him.

**I'm sure all of you guys are interested in finally meeting them, right? ;)**

**Please Review! I like to know what you all think :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**I OWN NOTHING BUT THE STORY LINE AND THE CHARACTERS THAT YOU DON****'T KNOW FROM THE ANIME/MANGA!**

_**Chapter Eleven**_

_**Brothers**_

**As they entered the clearing, Saito grabbed his sword. **The house was in ruins, having been destroyed and by the looks of it, years ago. He had expected one of her brothers to live here, but it seemed like they didn't. Maybe this was the wrong house…

Katsumi shook her head. "Don't worry, the house has been like this for years. I don't live here, after all."

Saito watched as she continued, letting of his sword. "I take it that your brothers aren't here yet?"

"No," She shook her head again, the soft smile still on her face. "They're here. They're always here, always waiting on me."

How could that be? There were no footprints in the snow around the area next to the trail that he and the woman were now making. Had her brothers forgotten all this or were they late today?

The house was almost an hour from Edo, though he wasn't sure if it took so long because of the snow. He remembered this country from when he lived here in Edo all those years ago, but he had never come across this house before. It was surprising to him that after living here for all these years, he had never seen Katsumi before. Or maybe he had and he just didn't remember it. He was more worried about his actions with the Samurai then the girls he came across in his life. He might remember one of the boys, though. Or maybe even her father. He ran into many in his childhood. It would be amusing to him if he had been friends with one of her brothers.

"I remember playing with them out here," Katsumi had paused in front of the house for a moment, running a hand over what had once been the door. "Haru, Kei, and Haruo would always pick on Juro until Minori came and got me to put a stop to it. You would think that Yoshiro would stop them too, but he just watched and laughed. Satoshi was always with me, though. As the youngest of us all, he hadn't learned too much from mother, didn't really remember her, and so I had taken her spot for him." She gave a laugh. "One would think that I wouldn't play a good mother-role but…"

As she moved behind the house, Saito frowned for a moment. There was no one here; he knew that. He felt sorry that her brothers hadn't arrived yet. Did they even plan on coming this year? Would they send word to their sister that they were going to be late or not show up this year? He was sure that she was trying to tell herself that they were hiding behind the house from her but he was also sure that she already knew that her visit here would be worthless.

"Katsumi," Saito followed her around the corner. He wasn't going to let her stay out here all night, waiting for them in the cold. "I don't think…" His voice caught in his throat. He stood there for a moment, taking the backyard in, silence passing between them. This was not what he had been expecting. Now it all just made sense. Why Katsumi always came to visit her brothers by herself. Why the house was in ruins. Why she had grabbed the flowers.

Eight graves sat there, the stones barely sticking up out of the snow to where the samurai could see them.

Her brothers, Saito realized, they were all dead. All seven of them; the other grave must have belonged to their father. He watched in silence as she sat in front of the graves, clearing the snow away so she could set the flowers down before all of them. Things stayed silent for a moment before Katsumi began to speak.

"Ever since I was young, there was nothing more that I wanted than to settle down peacefully, close to the ones I loved, and make a family of my own. I could see my children playing with those of my brothers. We would be like a huge family. A close family. A happy family. After mother died…the seven of them…they became like my own children as my father worked on his own to try and keep us alive. I took care of them all. I raised them. I loved them. But then I grew tired of them. As the oldest of them, I wanted some time on my own, a life of my own. I had given up everything I wanted to raise my brothers and I just wanted a little something for myself.

'I left for one day to travel to the city for a little vacation and I returned to this. All of them slaughtered." Her voice was soft and he could hear the pain inside her words. "Bandits. To Orgo Bandits." Saito now understood why she had tried to attack them when they were in Kyoto. A feeling of guilt struck his chest now. If the Bandits had killed his family…"I know that if I hadn't of left then I would have succumbed to the same fate, that they would have killed me all as well, but still…" She hung her head. "You asked me why I started to fight. Why I became a samurai. Samurai are supposed to protect others. Especially those important to them. At first it was out of anger, out of revenge. I hoped that one day I could find those bandits that did this but Asami taught me something else. Those women…they're not my brothers but they're still my family. They mean a lot to me and I will protect them against anything…just like I will the Shinsengumi." He watched her smile widen. "Just like I will you, Saito." He stood behind her in silence, not sure what to say. "It's been less than a year but already the Shinsengumi have become important to me. You have become important to me. It's strange for me to think about that, but as we traveled here I realized that it was true." She closed her eyes for a moment before giving a soft bow before the graves. "My mother and father are here, taking care of them. Of Yoshiro and Minori and Kei. Of Juro and Haruo and Haru. They're all waiting for me…watching over me…"

Saito frowned for a moment. "What about…Satoshi?"

"Satoshi was…I never found him." Katsumi opened her eyes, staring at the graves again as she straightened up. "His body wasn't here when I returned so I never found out what happened. I want to believe that the Bandits took him with them all those years ago, that he is still alive and that he remembers me, but I don't know anymore. I'm not sure that he's even alive after all this time…"

Saito closed his eyes for a moment and moved forward. Katsumi's body was shaking as she sat there in the snow. Pulling the scarf from his neck, he placed it around her's instead, taking a seat beside her. "Tell me about them," Saito told her, taking a seat beside her in the cold snow.

She gave a small smile, pulling the scarf tighter around her neck as she sat there above her family's graves.

Saito sat there in silence, just listening to the woman as she talked about her brothers. The twins, Haru and Haruo were the trouble makers. Juro and Kei were the two that the twins always messed with. Kei was either in on the teasing or teased himself. Satoshi was like Katsumi's shadow and Minori was another that helped her around the house and all that she had done. Yoshiro was the eldest of the boys and the one that Katsumi always talked to when she needed it.

The man was silent as everything continued, Katsumi's voice finally coming to a stop between them. Everything made sense now since she had joined the Shinsengumi. He also knew that the others of the Okami Pack didn't know that her brothers were dead, not alive. Or did Asami know? Who knows? The leader of the women knew a lot of things and kept it silent. It was hard to understand, that was for sure. He didn't plan on telling anyone of this, anyway. It wasn't his to announce.

"Katsumi," Saito had stood up as the sun began to set. "It's time to return to Edo. We need to sleep and warm ourselves before head back to the base tomorrow."

Katsumi was silent for a moment, staring at the graves again, but she decided to agree and go with the man with her. Normally she stays there, sleeping in the ruin house with her bags but tonight she didn't feel like it. She wanted to go get something to drink and try to forget everything that had happened today.

Saito grabbed Katsumi's arm and led the way back to Edo, leading the woman in silence.

**Please Review! I like to know what you all think :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**I OWN NOTHING BUT THE STORY LINE AND THE CHARACTERS THAT YOU DON****'T KNOW FROM THE STORY!**

**Saito's story has 8 or so chapters left and I just wanted to know whose story would you guys like to hear next? Any opinions?**

_**Chapter Twelve**_

_**What is this…**_

"**Ah, it's nice to kick back and relax after a few days of hard work."**

"What are you complaining about, Shinpachi? All you did was shovel snow."

"Shut up, Heisuke! Besides, shoveling snow can be hard. Especially when your partner, a woman, decides to make you do it all on your own!"

Harada laughed. "Perhaps you should ask nicer next time."

"You have no idea how much of a shrew Tsukiko can be!" Shinpachi hissed. "It's like living with a Demon! I think she's worse than you, Hijikata!"

The other samurai reached forward for his glass and gave a grin. "Is that right?"

"Oh, you just have no idea!"

"Speaking of which, where are they?" Heisuke glanced around the room. "None of the girls are here."

"Oh, don't worry, they'll be here soon enough." Their leader grinned in a mischievous way.

"Kondo," Hijikata stared at his friend. "What exactly have you done?"

Isami gave a grin. "They are women, after all. And for a party, I couldn't just leave them dressed like they normally are, could I?"

Saito closed his eyes and just shook his head as the others continued to talk. It's not like he wasn't in a good mood, he just wasn't in a mood to hear them complain to one another.

"Lighten up, Saito," Okita gave the other man a grin. "Ever since you returned from that trip to Edo, you've been out of it. Did something happen out there?"

Saito shook his head. "No, everything's fine."

"It doesn't look like it." Okita grumbled with that grin of his and he lifted his glass up.

"It doesn't look like everything's fine," Inoue grinned at his friend. "Are you sure nothing happened while on the journey?"

"Don't bother him so much about it," Shimada grinned.

"Yes. I believe Captain Hajime would have done told us if something had happened." Yamazaki agreed.

Susumu Yamazaki and Kai Shimada had joined them, as well as Inoue and Sanan. At 5'5', Yamazaki was in his early 20's and had short hair, next to a long tail in the back, that was a light brown with alert eyes. He was normally seen in his ninja uniform but tonight wore a light green kimono shirt with a dark green trim and simple black pants.

Yamazaki held quite close ties to most of the captains and was very, VERY passionate about his work; he seemed especially loyal and respectful of Hijikata.

Shimada was in his early thirties with dark brown hair and brown eyes and still in his Shinsengumi Haori. He was a very friendly man and loyal to his superiors.

Saito appreciated Shimada and Yamazaki's words on his behalf. He didn't want to admit it, but he was a bit…strange after returning from Edo. Since finding out the secret behind Katsumi's past with the Orgo Bandits, Saito has found himself think of ways to try and…make her feel better? Lighten her attitude, perhaps? He felt sorry for yelling at her like he had when he kept her from killing the bandits at the Inn. He knew that he was doing the right thing IN saving the men, but still, he…

~What is this? Why do I feel this way?~ He asked himself as the others continued on with the party. ~Sure, her brothers are dead, but normally my sympathy for them, even Kondou, would have faded away after a few days. But for Katsumi, it didn't…~

It was true. Every time he saw the young woman, even found himself thinking about her, he felt a strange feeling in his chest. Sympathy for all that happened to her and her brothers. Remembering what she had told him about her blade, she must have found it in the alley the day she returned to the city after finding her brothers dead and their house destroyed. And then there was Satoshi. Her youngest brother hadn't even been found. Did that mean that the Orgo bandits had run off with the child, or someone else found him? Was the child even still alive? Something inside him made Saito want to find those answers for Katsumi, he just didn't know why.

Ever since they had arrived, Saito found himself thinking about Katsumi often, but just like everything else, he didn't know why. He didn't seem to understand a lot of things about women; especially not the one that had been assigned to be his partner.

~What is this…~

"Excuse me, good sirs," a voice sounded outside the door of the room. "But the rest of your party has arrived."

"All right," Shinpachi grinned, lifting his sake to his lips again. "Bring in the ladies!"

All of the men glanced at the group of women as they entered the room. Most of them, wore shocked looks as Kondou let out a huge grin and Daiki, the chef, gave out a whistle.

"Who'd have thought that the Okami pack of hard-ass women could turn into something as sexy as this!?"

"Shut it, Daiki!" Chika grinned. "You're embarrassing us."

"Embarrassed? Please, you all look amazing! Please, sit down." Sanan assured them, motioning at the opened seat beside him.

"It's not normal to dress up without the make-up you know," Yamazaki commented, sipping from his glass.

"Screw the makeup!" Heisuke grinned. "They're all hot enough without it!"

Ryoko's face turned a dark red as the rest of the girls giggled. "You're sweet, Heisuke."

"No, he's right," Sanosuke stood up and helped Yumi to her seat. "You all look exquisite. It's nice to see you all in something other than your regular clothes."

All seven of the women had changed from their western styled clothes into kimonos; even Tsukiko.

"Well, when Isami implored for us to chance for the party, how could we refuse him?" Asami asked. "You all have been so nice to us since we were forced to work together, so why not?"

"Besides," Katsumi continued with a grin. "If a guy wants to give me money on his birthday to buy a dress with, then I don't mind."

That gave laughter through the others in the room. All the women were indeed gorgeous in their new attire, but Saito's eyes were only drawn to one. The one that his mind had been stuck on all night.

Katsumi's long brown hair had been pulled back into a gorgeous swirled that held a pink chrysanthemum to pin it with. The Kimono was black, covered in all shades of pink flowers, and a few red ones, as her obi was a swirl of yellow and purple flowers.

Saito couldn't help but follow Katsumi as she sat between Ryoko and Shimada, a large smile on her face as she joined in with the conversation that Shimada and Yamazaki had been taking part in. Heisuke had been right. Forget the makeup; she looked good without it. Pure. Natural. She was…

~Stop it!~ Saito closed his eyes. ~You shouldn't be thinking about something like that…~

"God, it feels so weird to be in a kimono again," Katsumi was commenting. "We've been in pants for so long now that I had almost forgotten how to put one of these on."

"I know, right?" Fuyu laughed with her. "Maybe we should start wearing these again."

"I don't think that we would be able to fight in these, Fuyu," Tsukiko told the younger woman. "Pants are more moveable."

"I agree," Yumi nodded. "But dressing up like an actual woman every once in a while wouldn't be so bad, either."

"I agree with that one," Daiki raised a glass. "Hot ladies in silk are always a hell of a site for me. It makes me wonder what you look like underneath."

"And that totally just ruined all of this for me," Chika pulled a face. They all laughed at Daiki.

"Well, now that you have arrived, I say we get this party started!" Isami grinned.

"Before we do," Asami began. "From what you gave us this morning, we had some funds left over and the girls decided to use it on a present for you."

"A present?" Isami looked shocked.

"Yeah," Ryoko nodded. "What's wrong, have the boys here never gotten you anything for your birthday," The members around the table all coughed and looked away. Her mouth dropped open. "Oh, you bastards!"

"For-shame on all of you," Katsumi shook her head as Fuyu pulled out the wrapped package.

"Hey, we take him out drinking and stuff," Shinpachi replied.

"That's not the same, though," Yumi told him.

"Don't bother trying to explain it, Chika," Tsukiko began as she lifted her own glass. "He's either too drunk to understand already to where he won't remember it for next year or he's just too stupid already."

"Ah, come on, you and Nagakura can have your ego fights tomorrow," Katsumi told the woman sitting across from her next to Heisuke. "Go ahead, Kondou. Open it!"

"I know it's not much," Fuyu began to fumble embarrassedly with her hands. "But I hope you like it." She glanced to her right to see that Hijikata had placed a hand on her head and was giving her a grin. Everyone watched as the man opened the cloth before him. "We didn't know if you even had one, but Asami said that you can never have so many so-"

"The thought is wonderful," Isami grinned. "And Asami was right. You can never have too many." His present had been a sharpening stone for his blades. There was also- "And what is this?" He lifted up another object. It was an exquisite carving of a set of howling wolves on a cliff.

"It is said to be made from the ashes off of Mt. Fuji," Ryoko told him. "So you'd better keep it safe, got it?"

"It's nice and all," Heisuke looked at her. "But why would you get that for Kondou? Isn't wolves more of your thing?"

"Well, the Shinsengumi are also called the Wolves of Mibu, aren't you?" Katsumi replied. "Besides, it's a token of us as well."

"Of you?" Isami raised a brow.

"Yes," Asami closed her eyes. "Everyone agreed on it. Eventually, the Okami Pack and the Shinsengumi will be on their separate paths again, even if that does not happen until a year or so in the future. But if you ever need us afterwards, just remember us and call for help. The Okami pack will come."

Things were silent for a moment, leaving Isami to stare at the grins on all the faces of the women that sat around the table. He looked like he was about to cry. "This…this…"

"Aww, don't cry!" Fuyu leaned over and pulled the man into a hug. "It'll make me cry, too!"

"If might have been a little over half a year since we first ran into you guys, but we like you. A lot. Any other Samurai would have been pissed that women wanted to join them in battle. You actually letting us work with you and whatnot kinda…made you guys special to us," Katsumi told them all, rubbing the back of her neck.

Isami rubbed his tears away and pulled a huge smile on his face. "I appreciate it! If the Shinsengumi ever need you in the future, you will be found!"

The party continued well into the night, everyone having fun and enjoying the others. A few of the group had already returned to the base, leaving the real partiers to stay longer around the table. Sanosuke was currently entertaining everyone with the scar he held on his stomach. Shinpachi and Heisuke were laughing as they held onto the other as Yumi looked like she was about to die. Asami and Hijikata were in a deep conversation with Sanan and Fuyu. Fuyu looked like she was about to pass out and Yamazaki and Shimada offered to escort her home; Ryoko and Chika went with them, Okita following after them.

Saito was still there. He and Tsukiko had been in a conversation with Katsumi about future events before Katsumi decided to join in with Sanosuke and the others as Tsukiko had been called over by Asami, leaving Saito on his own. He found himself watching as Shinpachi drew a face on Sanosuke's stomach around his scar and go off into another roar of laughter.

His eyes found themselves on Katsumi again. Her face was a light red from laughter as she sat there. Her hair was beginning to fall from its swirl, the pink chrysanthemum already removed and placed on the table. Saito didn't know what it was, perhaps it was the sake finally taking its toll on him, but he reached forward and grabbed the said flower from the table and stared at it for a moment before lifting it to his face and taking a breath. The flower smelled like it normally would, no doubt about that, but there was also another sweet smell to it. Katsumi's smell. He had first gotten this smell in his system that night he had grabbed her before she could kill the Orgo bandits. And then it was there again when she had returned his scarf to him that night in Edo.

He still had yet to wash that scarf…

"Wow, I didn't think that it'd be you, Saito," Kondou laughed. Saito ripped the flower from his face, her heart in a panic as Daiki and Isami took a seat on either side of him. He felt his face growing hot. "It thought for sure that it would have Heisuke or ever Sanosuke, but for it to be you!"

"Me?" Saito asked him.

"To fall for one of the women, Hajime."

Saito's eyes grew wide. Is that was these feelings- "My apologies, Kondou, but I'm afraid that you're mistaken."

"Oh, come on," Daiki gave his friend's shoulder a shove. "You're sitting here, smelling the flower that had been in her hair. Don't be embarrassed and try to hide the truth." Saito closed his eyes. He could feel his face getting hotter and hotter. "And between you and me, you picked a hottie, my dear friend. I'm a bit envious."

"You both…"

Kondou laughed at one of his captains. "Don't worry, Saito, you'll get her in the end, I'm sure! After all, not very many women ran resist the thought of a man that could protect them."

"Isami, all seven of those women can protect themselves. Your captains aren't needed. Actually, the only one I haven't seen fight is Asami. I wonder how good she is. To be the leader, she has to be the best. I think Tsukiko falls second in line, too."

"Yes, I think that too." Kondou nodded.

As the two men continued to talk about the strengths of women of the Okami pack, Saito's vision returned to the pink flower that he still held in his hand…

**Please Review! I like to know what you all think :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**I OWN NOTHING BUT THE STORY LINE AND THE CHARACTERS THAT YOU DON****'T KNOW FROM THE STORY!**

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

_**The Okami Rise**_

"**Hey, where's Saito?"**

Shimada turned to see Katsumi walking towards him. He gave a grin. "Well, he and the others are in a meeting so I was given his shift. I hope you don't mind."

Katsumi went to make a comment but the shrugged. What did it matter if Saito wasn't going to be with her tonight? Why should she feel…abandoned?

"No, it's all right. Shall we?"

Shimada was a kind man that held it above all us to keep Katsumi entertained while on their route this afternoon. He held the opinion of a smart and gentle man. He instantly made her think of her father and that pulled a smile to her face.

When they returned to the base, Yamazaki was found waiting for them. "How did it go?"

"Not one problem," She answered happily.

"They all seem to have been staying in line lately," Shimada replied.

"That's because they know who we are," Katsumi commented. "They know not to do anything stupid when we're around."

Yamazaki gave her words a soft smiled before his face returned to its stone-like state. "Katsumi, Asami and the others are waiting for you in the courtyard."

"Waiting for me?" She asked. "Is something wrong?"

He shrugged. "I'm not sure. She said that is was urgent though and that you should hurry."

"Then I will," She moved past him. "Thank you." Her face fell as she moved down the hall.

~Is something wrong? Has something happened? Or…could it be that we've finally been released?~ Katsumi paused in her steps at that thought. Since she had arrived here, she had wanted nothing more than t be able to return to their travels from before, but now…why did she feel like her wants had changed? Why did she feel like she wanted to stay here with the Shinsengumi? To stay here with Saito…

~Wipe that from your mind, Katsumi!~ She growled at herself as she continued to head towards the courtyard. ~that's the last thing that should be on your mind. You need to get out of this damn place before you start thinking about and longing for other stupid things, like Saito wanting you to stay or that you and he could-~

"KATSUMI!" Ryoko's voice came out in a cry.

"Ryoko, don't!" Chika's voice followed.

Katsumi turned to find the younger woman crashing into her stomach, gripping to her tightly. She had reached the courtyard. Ryoko had grabbed her attention and she saw all the women in the courtyard, Saito, Kondou, and Hijikata were there as well. She now knew, that without a doubt, something serious was about to happen. She received an unsettling feeling in her stomach and tried to shove it away with a laugh. "What's gotten you into such a panic, Ryoko?"

"Why?" That's when she noticed that the girl was crying. "Why didn't you ever tell us?"

"Tell you?" She tilted her head.

"About your brothers! Why did you lie to us?!"

Katsumi froze, her smile slowly disappearing from her face. Lifting her gaze to the courtyard, she found the other women there; Saito was there as well. "You…you told them?"

Saito glanced away, as if nervous about what was happening. "I had to."

"You had to?!" Her anger was loud as she ripped away from the younger woman. "I trusted you!"

"You shouldn't be mad at him, Katsumi," Tsukiko's voice was soft. Katsumi almost winced at the pity on her tone.

"Shouldn't be mad? Shouldn't be mad?!" Her voice was beginning to rise.

"Calm down, Katsumi," Asami's voice grabbed her. "Hear what he has to say first."

Katsumi closed her eyes for a moment, turning and taking a few steps away from the others. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, too bad," Yumi's voice was firm. "Either you do it, or we'll make you."

"The Okami Pack was built so that we could reside with eachother, to be there when we needed eachother. It's for reasons in our lives exactly like this that we came together to help one another. Why did you hide it from us?" Fuyu's voice sounded hurt.

"It was my problem to bear. It had nothing to do with the rest of you!" Katsumi growled.

"Did…did you not want to let us in?" Ryoko sounded like she was going to cry. "Are we not…that important to you? Were we just used to replace your brothers?"

"No!" Katsumi turned to the younger woman instantly, shaking her head side to side in a hurried fashion. "Never! I admit, my brothers…they are very dear to me, but I didn't use you just to replace them! You're much more important to me than that! All of you are!" That seemed to be the answer that Ryoko was looking for because the 17-year-old gripped her in a hug again.

Kondou cleared his throat for a moment before taking a step forward. "Katsumi, I would like to have a word with you. If you would, join us in the common room?"

Katsumi took a deep breath, refusing to look at Saito. She could feel his eyes on her, though.

"We'll be right out here," Asami told the other woman.

"But-"

"I'll be fine, Chika," Katsumi told her friend as she softly pushed Ryoko off of her.

"All right," Chika shrugged, taking a seat on the wooden path.

Katsumi took another deep breath as she followed Kondou inside the base, Hijikata and Saito followed them. She closed her eyes as she sat there, waiting for the leader of the Shinsengumi to begin.

"Katsumi, can I ask you to tell me what happened?" Kondo began. "The events may have happened years ago, but still…"

"What is there to really tell?" The woman replied, staring at her hands. "The Bandits killed my brothers and that led me to finding the others."

"But all this time," Hijikata began. "All these travels that you and the rest of the women have been on you have searched for the said bandits, have you not?"

"Of course I have," She growled at him. She calmed her voice. "Everywhere we went, whatever we did, I kept my ears and eyes opened for those bastards but I was never able to find them, never even heard a word about them. It had been like it was my imagination the entire time and then…then I found them here. I could have had my revenge but…but Saito stopped me…" She hung her head again. "I could have finally gotten what I longed for, but I let someone stop me! Me, the Kuro wolf of the Okami Pack!" She squeezed her hands as she spoke, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

Saito stared at her for a moment before closing his eyes. Seeing that his friend wasn't going to say anything, Hijikata decided to speak. "Well, that's not something that you'll have to worry about any longer."

Katsumi was still for a moment before lifting her gaze to the man before her. "What do you mean?"

"You can thank Saito," Hijikata grinned at the man beside him. "I thought he was just being crazy over the last month, but now I understand what he did it for."

"What are you talking about?" She asked him, growing impatient.

"Saito here," Kondo gave a small smile. "Has sent scouts out from his team to track down the whereabouts of the said Orgo Bandits and has asked to lead you across the land to confront them."

Katsumi's mouth moved, but her voice didn't work. The words struck her like lightening, leaving her in a shocked state. Slowing moving her eyes to the silent me, she stared at him as he just sat there, his eyes closed. He was trying his hardest not to open them to glance back at her.

~This man…~

"Why?" She finally asked. "Why would you…"

"Would you like to go after the bandits?" Hijikata asked her.

"Of course I would!" Katsumi's gave turned back to the other man. "There's no doubt in my mind that I'll…"

"What do you plan on doing them when you reach them?" Kondo asked her. She stared at him and he gave a sigh. "Silly question, I know, but still…the choice is yours, Katsumi, but I still have to tell you to think about it before you do it."

"You mean…you're going to let me go?" The woman sounded surprised.  
"Yes," Kondo nodded. "Past events in our lives are a large part of what creates us in the future. If we leave them unfinished, then our lives will never be completely finished, either. I just ask you to stay safe and return to us unharmed."

Katsumi felt like she was going to cry. "Where is it that they've gone?"

"To the West," Saito's voice finally sounded. She glanced at him but he still held his eyes shut. "Towards the mountains of Kuju."

"The Kuju mountains…" ~That's right. Those men had said something about being called to the mountains for the winter, instead of going to Edo again.

"I will expect all of you back safe and sound by the time of spring, understand?" Kondo told her.

"All of us?" She raised her head again.

"Well, we're not going to just send you and Saito off on your own," Hijikata told her. "Besides, after learning of this, you didn't think that the others of your little pack would let you leave without them either, did you?"

"But this has nothing to do with any of you!" Katsumi told them. "I refuse to let any of you-"  
"Katsumi, accept the help when it is given to you." Kondo told her. "We're not saying that you couldn't handle it on your own. You're too important to those close to you to let you go off on your own on a journey like this. Besides, the company to and from in the winter is a smart idea."

"So…Saito and I…Who else?"

"I'll be sending Inoue and Yamazaki with you as well," Kondo told her. I would send another one of the Captains, but I believe that Saito will be enough, including the other women that will be with you. A group of ten should be enough."

"Yeah…" Katsumi hung her head. This was actually happening, wasn't it? She was finally going to get revenge on the bastards that had destroyed her family. She was finally…

"Go and get some rest," Saito's voice told her. She lifted her head again to finally find that the man was staring at her with those blue eyes of his. "We will leave early tomorrow, so be ready."

She gave a soft smile before standing up and exiting the room. Kondo gave a breath of relief. "Lord, that was intense." He sighed. "I thought she was going to burn a hole in me with her agitation."

"You know, she's going to demand answers from you later," Hijikata smiled at his friend. "I hope you're ready to answer them." Saito stared at him in silence.

"Don't worry," Kondo smiled. "Everything will be just fine. This might be the best chance for you, Saito, but make sure you don't confess to everything in front of the others. Make sure it's in a quiet, empty place and to just her, understand?"

Saito stood up and left. Hijikata shook his head. "This is why I don't like having women around. Too much stress."

"True," Kondo nodded with a smile. "But things will smoothen out eventually. Besides, having the seven of them around here these last eight months hasn't been that bad now, has it? I don't hear you complaining about Fuyu or her aunt that much anymore."

"It was never Asami that I complained about," Hijikata replied. "She's one of, if not the, only one that I don't find myself worried about interfering with my work."

"Yes," Kondo rubbed his chin with a large smile on his face. "Asami is…quite something…"

**Katsumi took a deep breath when she slid the door shut behind her.** She didn't know what to do, what to think about all this. It all just seemed to be thrown into a bowl together and stirred around. Maybe she needed to go to her room and try to rest and get her mind settled before trying to even think of where to start…

"Katsumi?"

Lifting her head, she found that the six of them had been waiting on her in the courtyard. It had been Ryoko who had called for her.

"So," Tsukiko didn't even glance up from the card game that she, Yumi, and Chika had been playing. "What's the answer?"

"The answer?" She asked them.

"Yeah," Chika nodded. "We going or not?"

"But-"

"We're going with you, whether or not you want us too," Fuyu told her. "So don't even try." Katsumi gave a smile.

"Well?" It was Asami this time, glancing up from the book in her hands.

Katsumi was silent for a moment or two but finally her smile spread out larger and her normal, bold look was back on her face. "Gather your things tonight ladies, because tomorrow the Okami Pack is on the move!"

**Please Review! I like to know what you all think :)**


	14. Chapter 14

**I OWN NOTHING BUT THE STORY LINE AND THE CHARACTERS THAT YOU DON****'T KNOW FROM THE ANIME/MANGA!**

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

_**Calm Before the Storm**_

"**Yamaguchi," **Katsumi heard the name but she continued to move as if she hadn't. "Yamaguchi." She continued to me.

"She told you before, Saito," Chika decided to relieve the man before her as the rest of the group just chuckled. "She won't respond until you start using her first name." Saito glanced at her for a moment before moving faster to catch up to the woman ahead of him.

Yumi gave a chuckle. "Like it's written in the stars, isn't it?"

Fuyu raised a brow. "What are you talking about?"

"Indeed," Tsukiko stared after the duo with a large smile. "It's…"

"Adorable," Asami nodded in agreement.

"What is?" Ryoko asked, just as confused as the other young woman was.

"I can be honest to say that I had not been expecting for him to fall," Inoue grinned. "What about you, Yamazaki?"

The other man held a surprised look himself. "No I did not…" His surprised look settled into a small smile. "But I have my fingers crossed.

"I don't get what they're talking about," Ryoko whispered to Fuyu. "Do you?"

"No idea."

"Don't worry," Asami placed a hand on either of their heads. "When you grow up, you'll know."

"Auntie, I'm already 23."

"And I'm 17!"

Asami continued to smile. "As I said; when you get older."

Katsumi kept her face set as the snow began to fall again. It had been nearly a month since the group had left the Headquarters. They had passed through Edo again but had been caught there for nearly a week due to the horrid snow storm that Asami had felt would be foolish to travel through. Katsumi had been worried about losing the Bandits but with the season being winter, she was sure that they would stay at the Kuju Mountains. At least, she hoped they would. If they were gone when they arrived…well, she would deal with that when they came to it.

To be honest, at this moment, Katsumi was pleased that she had hurried up past the others of the group. She was trying to keep her mind set and clear on remembering the mission that she was hear for, but she just…couldn't keep her mind on the subject. She kept her attention on something else.

On someone else.

"Katsumi," At her name, the woman turned to find Saito coming up to a stop beside her. He had joined her ahead of the others, leaving the two of them in their own small conversation. "Are you all right?"

She turned back to the tour ahead of them. "As good as I can be," She replied honestly, trying to keep her heart calm. "You?"

He glanced at her for a moment before glancing ahead again. "We're going to have to take a stop soon for the night. There's a cave in the next set of trees that we come by; it's not that far from here." She gave a soft nod before the silence dropped between the two of them.

Saito had been correct. There was a cave just ahead of them. The group spread through the cave, Fuyu creating a fire towards the front of it, coming together to talk about their plan.

"The Kuju Mountains aren't that far away anymore," Asami began, staring into the fire. "We can reach it midday tomorrow, maybe even before hand, depending on how fast we move."

"Is that right…" Katsumi stared at her feet, thinking to herself.

Tsukiko stared at the other woman for a moment before closing her eyes. "You better use tonight to think about just what you plan on doing when we run into the Bandits. And what you plan to do afterwards as well, Katsumi."

Katsumi glanced at the other woman for a moment before giving a sigh. "You can't…"

"We leave the decision up to you, Katsumi," Asami told the other woman. "No matter what you choose, the Okami Pack will be behind you completely."

Katsumi stared at her for a moment before making a comment about gathering some fresh air.

"What is wrong with her?" Fuyu asked, glancing after the other woman as she walked away from the cave.

"We're talking about her getting revenge against the men that killed her entire family; or killed all but one. They might have taken her younger brother. She has to think about how to react. You wouldn't want to kill a bandit that turned to be your brother, do you?" Chika asked, warming her hands at the fire. "She'll have no idea what Satoshi will look like after all these years."

"Not only that. Katsumi may be strong, but taking people's lives can still grab her if it's for no cause. Not every one of those Bandits is responsible for the events over ten years ago." Tsukiko closed her eyes. "She has to decide what she plans on doing. Kill them all? Kill none? It's not that easy."

"It doesn't matter what she plans to do," Ryoko poked at the fire with a stick. "I'll be behind her all the way and make sure what she want's done will be finished."

Yumi smiled at the young woman. Ryoko wouldn't follow Katsumi through anything; maybe even hell and back. She was more attached to Katsumi than Fuyu was to Asami, and that was pretty damn clothes. But seeming as what Katsumi saved Ryoko from, it was easy to understand.

"So will the rest of us, Ryoko," Asami commented. "But for now, let's rest and let her chose her own path."

"You ladies rest," Inoue smiled as he stood. "Let the three of us keep watch, just in case. You never know when something might happen."

"Are you sure?" Chika asked him. "We can help."

"We'll be fine for now," Yamazaki answered her. "If we need to switch then we'll let you know."

Tsukiko stared at Saito for a moment before he disappeared amongst the trees in silence with Yamazaki and Inoue. She closed her eyes. "I'm afraid that we won't see Katsumi until tomorrow morning."

"Why do you say that?" Fuyu asked.

Yumi gave another smile. "Why indeed."

_**~There is more to be seen**_

_**Than can ever be seen**_

_**More to do**_

_**Than can ever be done~**_

"**What is it that you plan on doing?"**

Katsumi had found a frozen lake and was currently staring at it, thinking about what she was going to do tomorrow. She had been waiting for this event nearly all her life but now…she didn't…didn't want to spill blood. Not anymore. She wanted revenge, there was no doubt about that, but something held her back.

She knew that the other women, those dear to her, were behind her no matter what she did, but she still feared the reaction from someone else. How would she be treated from them if she were to kill the ones that had taken her family from her? Would she be seen as a monster? Would she be thrown away? What would he do to her?

"Katsumi?"

She turned her head to find that Saito was standing off to the side, staring at her. She gave a silent sigh and turned back to look at the frozen lake. "I'm fine," She told him. "Don't worry." He remained silent, just staring at her. That was another thing that made Katsumi feel worried. Saito didn't speak much, and there was nothing that was easy to read off of him. She could never truly tell whether or not he was displeased with her or anything else. Saito never-

"It is hard for me…not to worry about you." Katsumi whipped her head back around to stare at the man behind her. He was staring off to the side with a plain face but barely, just barely, she could see the light red passing over his cheeks. She waited for him to say something else but gave a soft sigh when he didn't.

"Still…it shouldn't bother you." Katsumi stood up from the rock and slowly stepped out onto the ice. She remembered when she was younger, when she still had her brothers, that every Christmas they would take the pond behind their house and slide across it. She had taught the other women to do that, but it was never the same. "I've gotten myself this far. I can take care of this all on my own."

"I'd rather you not." She paused for a moment before continuing to slide across the ice. She knew that he wasn't going to want her to kill these men. She shouldn't have even thought about him- "At least, not without me."

Katsumi skidded around in a circle to see that he was staring at her again, a frown on his face. "What do you mean without you?"

"As simple as it sounds." Saito answered her. "I understand that you want revenge, we all do, and so I shall be behind you as much as the others will be. Any decision you make, I will be there to help you. If you want all the bandits dead, then I shall draw my own blade to help it be so. If you want then hurt, then I shall step forward. Anything you want just let me know. I will give you what you need."

Katsumi stared at him; her heart was growing loud in her ears. "But why? Why do you care? This has nothing to do with you. Or are you under orders from Toshizo or Kondou to help me? If you are, then don't bother. I can take care of myself." She turned again to continue to skate.

"That's not it," Saito made her turn again; he took a few steps towards the ice. "Normally, if any of the others went through something like this, I wouldn't even give it a second thought and let them handle it on their own unless I was told or asked otherwise. But this… this makes me worried. It makes me think about everything, about anything that I could do to help you with this. The thought of you going against the Orgo Bandits, even with the other members of the Okami Pack with you, still makes me worried."

"You, worried?" Katsumi snorted. "That's a first. You're like a stone, Saito. Have been since we met. But…" She gave a smile as she remembered what he had done. Tried to convince the others to let the Okami Pack return to their journey. Then that night when they reached Edo and spent the time with her that night. She had never talked to anyone about what had happened to her brothers but talking to Saito about it seemed to make her… feel better. And then him searching for the Bandits on his own to find them for her. He had found them for her so she could get her revenge on them for her brothers. "Without you, I might not have found the Bandits again. I appreciate that Saito, greatly, but…"

"But what?"

Katsumi glanced at him. "But why? Why would you go through such lengths to do that? I would understand that if we knew each other for a while, but I have only been around you nearly ten months. Not even a year yet. Why go through the trouble?"

"Well…" Katsumi watched as Saito tried to find the right words to tell her. He struggled with it though. It wasn't often that he had to… had to answer a question like that. Not often that he was face to face with a woman like this. "The answer is simple… but at the same time it is… hard. But since the Shinsengumi and the Okami Pack met, since you were made my partner, I have been feeling… different than I normally would. You are the only one that I can't ignore. You are the one that I want to keep smiling and happy." She felt her eyes widen as he locked eyes with her. "You…I don't know what it is but you do something to me, Katsumi," Saito told her. "And sometimes, I wonder if it's good or bad."

**Please Review! I like to know what you all think :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**I OWN NOTHING BUT THE STORY LINE AND THE CHARACTERS THAT YOU DON****'T KNOW FROM THE ANIME/MANGA!**

**If you ladies don't like Lemons, then now would be a good time to leave ;)**

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

_**Like the Wind**_

**Katsumi felt as if her feet were frozen to the ice she stood on. **

"I don't know what it is but you do something to me, Katsumi," Saito repeated, his eyes still locked to hers. "At first I just thought I felt nervous because women had invaded the Shinsengumi but as time went on, I realized that it was something different; much different. You've turned into something important to me, Katsumi, and I don't… I don't think that I want to change that. And so, I shall do all that I can to make sure you get everything that you want; everything that you need. All that you desire; even if…" He paused for a moment. "Even if it's not me."

Those final words are what hit it. Saito's vow hit the faucet. Katsumi felt the tears fall from her eyes and she turned around immediately, refusing to let him see her cry. She had admitted to herself months ago, before they went to Edo, that she had felt something for the silent man on the Shinsengumi but she had tried to keep it locked away; it hadn't worked since it had grown in such a short time. She had never thought that she would be involved in something like this. Ever since that night in the ally, when she had first received her sword, Kurina, she had sworn to herself that you wouldn't fall for a man; and then her hatred for men grew worse when they had first found Ryoko. Men had meant nothing to her, outside of the memories of her bothers, until now.

"Katsumi?" His voice was right behind her. He had followed her out onto the ice. She turned to face him but caught herself, hanging her head.

"I swore that I wouldn't do it." She began through clenched teeth. "I didn't need anyone outside of the Okami Pack. I hated being stuck here with the Shinsengumi!" She growled. "But that was at first. As we continued, on those missions through the city, those dinners we had in the base, everything expanded. I didn't want a man but," She turned and glanced at him. "It seems that he dug his way through anyway, didn't he?"

Saito leaned in toward her suddenly, his hand lightly grasping her shoulder and pulling her close to him. His warm breath passed over the lines the tears had left on her cheeks; their faces were only inches apart. His arms shook and, as they exchanged their gazes, his eyes held a hint of nervousness; Katsumi was sure that the same could be seen in her eyes.

"…That is your answer, then?" His voice hung on every word he spoke. "You swear that you will not regret this choice? That the words you have spoken are what you feel is right?"

His eyes were deep, as if he was taking in every part of the woman before him, looking for any sign of what was said next wasn't the truth. Katsumi had never seen him look at her that way before. It made her stomach twist.

"I…" Katsumi took a deep breath. Now was the moment for her to decide. To follow a sudden feeling or to stick with what she had felt for the last ten years. "Out of all that I have learned, I know that something like this can end horribly. It would be smart of me to say no but…but I feel that now is a chance to change that. I…I want to be with you, Saito." Katsumi gave a large smile.

His eyes suddenly glistened with unshed tears, and for a moment he looked like he was both laughing and crying at once.

"…Your eyes tell the truth. You speak from the heart-no, from the soul." He let out a long sigh of relief, and leaned in closer. His breath was warm as he closed the distance, but he hesitated just as their lips were about to meet. Katsumi knew what he was waiting on and gave a silent laugh before pushing forward to finish the kiss.

_**She's like the wind through my tree**_

_**She rides the night next to me**_

_**She leads me through moonlight**_

_**Only to burn me with the sun**_

Never before had Katsumi kissed a man. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as it grew a bit hard for her to breathe. It felt good though. And it made her feel better that she wasn't the only one nervous about this. Saito's lips shook as did his hand as he placed it against her back, pulling her closer to him.

Pulling back from the kiss, Saito leaned his forehead down on hers, eyes closed as he took in deep breaths.

"These last few nights…no, weeks, since that dinner we had for Kondou's birthday, I have not been able to sleep peacefully. Every time I close my eyes, you're there in my dreams, torturing me with the want to touch you in real life like I do there." She flushed, realizing just what he was talking about. "But I just… I don't have the courage…"

_**She's taken my heart**_

_**But she doesn't know what she's done**_

Katsumi stared at the man before her. His blue eyes glanced at the ice beneath them, not able to lock eyes with her. She felt her heart pump even harder but she lifted her hands, grabbing that white scarf he always hung around his neck. Slowly untying it, she pulled it off of his neck before leaning her head against his shoulder. "Well," She gave a swallow; her mouth was completely dry. "I'm not going to stop you."

_**I feel her breath on my face**_

_**Her body close to me**_

_**Can't look in her eyes**_

_**She's out of my league**_

She kept her eyes closed after that, sure that Saito was wearing a shocked look on his face. She held her breath, unsure of what was going to happen. She slowly let it free as a hand curled around her head as the other was around her waist. Not another word passed through their lips, but the actions they were about to perform weren't in need of words. They were both nervous, that wasn't a lie. Neither of them had ever done this before, Katsumi had saved herself before the men even got far, but at the same time…neither of them could think of another person that they wanted to have.

And so, that set everything into motion.

_**Just a fool to believe**_

_**I have anything she needs**_

_**She's like the wind**_

The next kiss was firm this time, but Saito's hands still shook a bit as he reached up and began to unbutton her Okami jacket. The fact that it was in the middle of snowing hit neither of them, the heat they felt building between their bodies being all the warmth that they needed.

Katsumi tried not to think about what would happen and just stayed with the actions happening now. Saito's fingers grew firmer the more that they trailed over the woman's body; and that was still over her clothes.

Deciding not to just stand there, Katsumi moved her own hands and grabbed his belt. He paused for a moment, watching as she grabbed his blades and dropped them on the ice. She smiled to herself as he did the same with her blade and belt before leaning forward, placing her face against his now exposed chest. It was a warm; almost as warm as his hands.

_**I look in the mirror and all I see**_

_**Is a young old man with only a dream**_

_**Am I just fooling myself**_

_**That she'll stop the pain**_

It was then at that moment that Saito decided to make his hands travel up the side of her shirt. She flushed, thinking about exactly where his hands were heading, but pulled herself back from the embarrassment as she, in turn, began to place kisses on his own skin. Saito sucked a breath in, going rigid, before settling down again and continuing his trail up her body.

His touch was timid at first and Katsumi bit her bottom lip as his finger began to play with her breasts. The feel of his touch made her nether region tingle and it grew as he continued; especially when he pulled her shirt off and, timidly, replaced his fingers with his mouth. The feel of his tongue, God, it made her back arch and her breaths come fast.

And then she felt him begin to unbutton her pants.

_**Living without her**_

_**I'd go insane**_

That's when she got nervous. Really nervous. She paused had hands and glanced away. He pulled back.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes, I…"

Saito moved his face to stare into her eyes. "If you want to stop," He began.

She shook her head. "I'm just…nervous."

He gave her a soft smile. "So am I. You'll be my first," He leaned his forehead to her's again. "My only."

His words made her cry again. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer for another kiss as she hugged him to her. There was no going back now. She had made her choice and something was telling her that she would never regret it.

_**I feel her breath on my face**_

_**Her body close to me**_

_**Can't look in her eyes**_

_**She's out of my league**_

Their clothes were laid out over the snow beneath them, making a short of bed-like area before Saito picked Katsumi up and careful placed her down beneath him. The heat from their bodies as they continued to touch each other kept them warm despite the snow. Everything between the two on them just seemed to be so right. The feel of his hands on her skin. His hair as it was dragged over her body as he kissed a path between her breasts to her stomach. The nibble he gave on the side of her neck. It was driving her crazy.

_**Just a fool to believe**_

_**I have anything she needs**_

_**She's like the wind**_

Grasping her hands in one of his, Saito ran the other through her hair for a moment, allowing her to get ready for the next step. Knowing what was coming, she took a deep breath and buried her face into his shoulder. These turned out to be the longest seconds of her life that finally ended with a stinging pain that she held inside, burying her mouth in the crook of his neck to keep it from being released.

He went slow, nervous and cautious to all that was happening between them but the moment a small moan escaped Katsumi's mouth was the green light for him.

_**I feel your breath on my face**_

_**Your body close to me**_

_**Can't look in your eyes**_

_**You're out of my league**_

Fearing the thought of one of the others coming across them due to her cries, Katsumi settled her lips into placing more kisses all over the man before her, gripping to his tightly as the end came closer and closer for them. Soon, the wondrous feeling of release hit them together. Saito rolled off of her onto his back, breathing hard as he closed his eyes. The sun had already set, basking the two of them in moonlight. Katsumi rolled over and buried her face into his skin again. His arm wrapped around her and together they just sat there, listening to the other breathe for what felt like hours.

_**She's like the Wind**__**  
**_

"Saito…"

"Hmm?"

"…I'm cold."

Saito opened his eyes and glanced down at the woman beside him. She was still laying on him, eyes closed, announcing that she didn't plan on getting up just yet. Giving a small smile, Saito grabbed his jacket and pulled it over both of them too give a little cover and warmth; just in case.

**Please Review! I like to know what you all think :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**I OWN NOTHING BUT THE STORY LINE AND THE CHARACTERS THAT YOU DON****'T KNOW FROM THE ANIME/MANGA!**

_**Chapter Sixteen**_

_**Ours**_

**Katsumi felt like she was on top of the inn again. **Her time for revenge on the Bandits coming closer and closer to be claimed by her shaking hands. The entire group had the bandits surrounded. They were on one of the flat areas of the Kuju Mountains that was covered by a forest. The bandits had taken camp at one of the few clearings, clearing snow away and setting up tents. It seemed as though they had been there for a while now; the garbage was piling up. The entire group had taken posts around the entire camp on the trees, the stupid morons hadn't even set up lookouts or took any parts of defense, and was just waiting for Katsumi to move.

She found herself caught, looking for some of the elder warriors that she was certain to be with the Bandits ten years ago when they attacked her family but most of them seemed to be young; very young. Why would they subject themselves to a fate such as this by choice? Maybe they had no other reason to succumb to this. Maybe their families were in debt to the other bandits or-

~Stop trying to think up answers for them Katsumi,~ She hissed at herself. ~Maybe not all of them made this choice, but that is none of your concern. Just do what you came here to do and stop worrying about anything else. This is what you want. This is what you need. This is what you came here to do.~

Taking a deep breath, Katsumi grabbed the handle of Kurina, she was going to rush in there and run her blade through as many of them. The older ones she would kill but the younger ones she would only wound. She knew that she could trust the others not to kill anyone there; just in case Satoshi…

A commotion in the camp pulled her to a halt. Moving around a few trees to get a better view, she caught sight of a few of the older Bandits standing before another man; a man that was clearly not a part of their organization. She just stood there, watching for a moment as the new man just stood there, talking. One of the Bandits that spoke to him was starting to get heated. And then, in a flash, the other man grabbed one of the bandits by the throat, lifting his clearly from his feet with one hand, clearly leaving nearly a foot of air between the ground and the man. Her interest was interested, greatly, but what really grabbed her was the movement to her left.

Asami moved out of the trees and started to head towards the camp. Katsumi wasn't sure what she was doing but the moment that Fuyu moved out of the trees after her aunt, Katsumi followed. The others did the same, each of them enclosing the camp in their circle. The Bandits quickly caught sight of them and grabbed their weapons at the sight of the blades that the women and the Shinsengumi wore on their hips. The Bandits gave a laugh at the thought of women in battle; Tsukiko and the others had no problem in showing them that they were foolish. Asami didn't even have to grab her own blade, seeming as how Fuyu wouldn't even let one of the idiots near her aunt.

"I suggest that you fools stop where you are," Tsukiko commented, grinding her foot even harder into the head of the man under her foot. "You might find yourselves in a worse position than you are now."

"Don't tease them with hopes of survival, Tsukiko," Chika commented, wiping the blood from her own blade as she smiled down at the man she had just left a scar on.

"Being a blood-thirsty bitch today, huh?" Yumi called over from her own spot.

Chika gave a wicked smile. "You know it."

Katsumi gave her friends a snort before turning her attention back to the woman she stood beside.

"Amagiri," Asami gave a small, playful smirk, a hand on her hip. "I had a feeling that it would be you."

The strange man stared at her, seeming to have forgotten about the man he still held by the throat. "Kimura," He stated her last name. That was all that he seemed to be able to say as he just stared at her.

Amagiri was a tall man with long red hair and a small, matching goatee. His eyes were a bright blue and went well with the look of shock still resting on his face.

"I apologize in getting involved with whatever it is you have proceeding here, Amagiri, but I'm afraid that we have issues with the Orgo Bandits here."

"Is that so?" Amagiri stared at Asami for a moment, as if an unvoiced message passed between them, before dropping the men he held to the ground. He backed away a few feet few before stopping; likely in search of a show.

Asami dipped her head to the man before turning to Katsumi. "The floor is yours."

Katsumi felt her mouth go dry. Licking her lips, she tried to calm herself as she felt every eye in the clearing on her. "I…which one of you is Orgo?" She called out for the leader of the bandits, her eyes dancing across all of them. She received no answer, just stares. She felt her annoyance rise as her eyebrow twitched. "Which one of you bastards is the one I'm looking for or am I going to have to cut through each and every one of you to find my answer?"

Her answer came this time, but not in the way that she had been expecting it to. The older man that Amagiri had been holding took off for the trees but he didn't get very far. Katsumi didn't even had to move after him before Saito had swiftly knocked him off of his feet, glaring down at him as he pointed his blade at his face.

"Get up." The cool man ordered. When the man didn't move, Saito's blue eyes narrowed. He took a step forward and the man jumped to his feet. Motioning with his head towards Katsumi, the man turned and walked towards the woman. Saito glanced at Katsumi to find her staring at him, a look of appreciation in her eyes. He gave a silent nod before sheathing his blade again when the man stopped before the woman.

"So…" She licked her lips again. "You're Orgo? The original?"

"One 'n only," He gave a gruff runt as he shot Saito a displeased look. "What's it to a lass like you?" He glanced her over. "We don't take women for fighting partners if that's what yer lookin' fer. You'd have to change yer attire too."

Katsumi gave a snort. "Don't flatter yourself. I'd have to be blind, deaf, _and_ stupid." She took a breath. "What I'm here for is…" She paused, thinking to herself for a moment on how to word this. "Ten years ago, near the beginning of winter, you and your little gang of boy-toys made a trip to Edo."

Orgo stared at her for a moment. "Yer not expectin' me to remember that, are ye?"

"You might wanna try because there you decided to lay waste to a small little farm a ways off of it."

Orgo gave a frown. "So let me guess. Yer here for revenge, right? Listen kid, walk back while you and yer friends are still alive. Yer not even worth my time." He turned to walk away but Saito stood in his way, his face nearly ten times as cold as it normally was.

"I've waited for this for over ten years." Katsumi growled at him, taking a step forward. "I've come this far, after all this time. I'm not letting you get away now."

Turning back to face her, the man shook his head, a small grin on his face. "Fine, lass," Orgo drew his sword. "But don't blame me when yer lying in a puddle of yer own blood."

Katsumi didn't answer in words, but attack. She, at first, was surprised that none of Orgo's men moved to help but that was simple to explain. The only one with her that didn't hold their blade still was Saito and Asami. And with the rest of the Okami Pack, as well as Inoue and Yamazaki with her, she knew that she didn't have a thing to worry about.

Saito watched, his fists clenched at his sides as he tried to keep his face straight. He had watched Katsumi in her spars with the others several times, and even a few times in the city during a few, struggling events, but there was just something different about her in this fight. The ferocity behind each of her blows, the cruel grin that spread wider and wider across her face with each blow that made Orgo wince or bleed. He had never seen that look before on anyone.

On no one but the Rasetsu.

The thought of Katsumi even thinking about drinking the Ochimizu, the Water of Life, made a shiver spiral down Saito's back. It grew worse we he had a flash of her with white hair and red eyes. But this woman hadn't once asked about what happened that night they had run into the crazed Rasetsu. She had been offered an explanation but still refused it. She had been the first to so openly refuse any sort of information on it; ever. Perhaps that was why...when he had started to look at her differently…

Indeed, Katsumi was skilled but Orgo had strength over her and she knew, the moment that it happened, that she had let her anger get control of her. If she had been smart and moved swiftly like she normally did, she would have been fine. Instead she let her anger take control to where she wanted to inflict such pain and torture on the one that took her loved ones from her when Orgo over-powered her.

Kurina was flung from Katsumi's hand and Saito reached for his own blade, about to rush in but Asami laid a hand on his arm. He glanced at her but her eyes were still on the fight. "I know you would like to join and keep harm from befalling her, but this is a mission that Katsumi has made. She would rather receive wounds and scars to prove that she did it alone than to feel like she needed someone else to do it for her." Saito let the words sink in before slowing dropping his hand from his blade. She gave a smile. "Don't worry; if something goes foul you are not the only one who will move."

"You didn't honestly think that you would find me and get revenge, did you?" Orgo sneered, staring at the woman that continued to glare at him. "Do you know how many pitiful fools like you there has been before you? Each of them fall!"

"Coming from the man that had tried to run?" Katsumi spat. "Tell me, how does it feel to be afraid of a woman on the battlefield?" She shook her head. "The men that follow you are just idiots! I'd at least go for a better group."

"Say all that you like," Orgo told her. "It changes nothing. Not your past, nor your future. It's just a shame that we missed you in that raiding. What did you do? Hide while the rest of your family was slaughtered? Tell me, how does it feel to hear their screams in your dreams at night, knowing that you were too weak to do a thing? Quite a lullaby, don't you agree?"

And that was the last of it that she could take. Katsumi's anger took control completely and at the elder man she leaped. She no longer cared if he was three times her age. He had said his last words.

Orgo gave a laugh as the weaponless woman ran at him. Getting ready for his strike, he slashed out with the blade; shock was plastered on his face was Katsumi knocked the blade away from her body, receiving a large gash on her arm, before pouncing on the man and knocking them both to the ground. Her fists began to pound into his face as she sat on him. Orgo tried to move away but found himself trying to block her hits instead. If he had been in his youth then he would have been in no problem in defeating this…this crazed woman.

Now his age had finally caught up to him.

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Katsumi landed another fist into his face, beating every inch of the man that she could reach. She felt her tears trailing down her face. "You bastard!" She saw the images of their bodies, heard their screams, saw their blood as the swords ripped through them. She couldn't…she couldn't take it! Giving another blow to the man's face, Katsumi crawled off of him, standing to her feet. Glancing to the side, she saw Ryoko picking her sword from the ground and walking towards her, holding Kurina to her. Katsumi stared at it in silence for one moment before reaching out to grasp the handle.

She had come all this way to kill this man, to kill the one that had taken those she loved from her. She was going to make him suffer.

The sound of a gasp grabbed her and Katsumi whipped back around to find that someone had beaten her to it. Orgo had tried to crawl away, seeking support from his men. He thought he had found it in one of them as he moved forward; instead he found a blade in his chest.

It was a young man, black hair and brown eyes that were now tearing up as he stared down at the man he had delivered the final blow to. Everything was silent for a moment before his eyes rose and locked with Katsumi's. She felt her breath catch.

"Satoshi?"

It was hard to believe it, many had eyes of brown, but there was just something about the sight of them that made Katsumi believe that she had seen them before. As she took a closer look, she saw more than just his eyes. She saw Haru's nose. Kei's lips. Haruo's ears. She could just imagine Juro and Minori's laugh escaping his throat. She could see Yoshiro's smirk…

"It is…isn't it?" The man's voice sounded just her father's had… "It's you, isn't it, Katsu…"

At the name, Katsumi closed her eyes. Satsohi had been too young to pronounce her name the right way and Katsu had been what he called her. This…it had to be…

"Ten years…" Satoshi began. "The screams…all the blood…their bodies…he…he told me that it was just nightmares," He shook his head, his eyes wide as he stared down at the body. "That I had dreamed about all of you, but I knew…I knew!" He lifted his eyes up to the woman standing before him. "I couldn't…I couldn't forget you. Your face. Your voice. You took care of me. Of us! You were…you weren't a sister; you were a mother! I've dreamt about you every night!" Satoshi let his tears take over more and hung his head. Katsumi moved instantly, pulling the young man into her arms. She could feel tears of her own flooding from her eyes; filled with relief.

Alive…her brother was alive…

"You," Tsukiko dropped her sword from the man's throat. "If you value your life you'll get out of here and not let me see you again." She glanced at the rest of the men. "All of you."

Yumi dropped her sword and watched what was left of the bandits as they hurried away from the clearing; they didn't even receive a second glance. "What a bunch of cowards."

"Well, when they're faced with something that they know can kill them, their instincts kick in to flee," Chika commented, sheathing her sword now that all of the danger was over with. "Even mine do still sometimes. Everyone has them, no matter how strong they are."

"Smart words," Amagiri commented, his arms still crossed.

Chika gave a coy smile. "Comes with experience."

"It is not often that you find a woman like you," He glanced around at the Okami Pack. "Let alone seven in the same area."

"You can thank Auntie Asami for that," Fuyu grinned, folding her arms behind her back. "She taught us almost everything we know!"

Amagiri turned his blue gaze to the said woman again. "Auntie?"

Asami still wore a smile on her face but, as Katsumi helped Satoshi to his feet, she could see the warning from the other woman's gaze. "What are your plans now, Amagiri?"

"Since there is no work here any longer, I shall just return home." He turned to walk away but paused, turning to glance back at her. "You know he'll know. His senses are even stronger."

Asami gave a grin. "I'm sure he will." She turned from him. Amagiri stared at her for a moment before giving a smirk himself as he turned and left the clearing.

"Any details on just what the hell happened between the two of you?" Yumi asked.

"My past is better left where it's at." Asami replied, that coy smile on her lips again.

"So, what now?" Fuyu asked, folding her arms behind her head. She knew when she wouldn't get answers from her aunt and just left it where it was at.

"We return to the Shinsengumi, of course." Chika smiled.

"But why?" Tsukiko grunted. "We're finally free of them," She glanced over at Saito. "Besides, I doubt that Saito would have a problem in following after us."

Ryoko watched as Saito shot Katsumi and quick glance; the woman was flushing as her brother, still holding her hand, raised a brow. "Well, Katsumi promised Kondou that we would return so return we shall, right Katsu?"

Katsumi gave a sigh and glanced at her brother. "What do you think, Satoshi?"

"The Shinsengumi…" Being part of a Bandit crew, Satoshi had certainly heard many things about the small force. He would be lying if he said that these men didn't peak his interest. He glanced at his sister. "I wouldn't mind…meeting the other men that you work with. The one that they call the Demon is very…uh…interesting. A man named Hijikata I think it was…"

"Toshizo?" Fuyu began to snort laughter. "The Demon? More like an over-grown house-cat."

"Coming from the one that was scared of him ten months ago." Tsukiko teased with a smile.

"Shut it, Kiko!"

Katsumi was giving a laugh as Satoshi glanced over at her. "So this is your… family?"

Katsumi stared at him for a moment before glancing ahead of her. Saito looked at her from the corner of his eye. "No, not mine," She answered. "This family," reaching out with her free hand, she locked her arm around Saito's. "This is ours."

**Please Review! I like to know what you all think :)**


	17. Epilogue

**I OWN NOTHING BUT THE STORY LINE AND THE CHARACTERS THAT YOU DON****'T KNOW FROM THE ANIME/MANGA!**

_**Epilogue**_

_**Family**_

"**Stop it! **I can't…can't breathe!

"Beg me."

"I am begging!"

"Say it!"

"Say what?"

"You know what!"

"All right, all right! Ryoko, you are greater than I. there is no way that I can ever defeat you and I don't know why I continue to try."

"Good." Ryoko removed herself from her victim to make her way to the table but was jumped on again. "Gah!"

"You taught them that."

Katsumi looked over from the fight to find that Saito had sat on the walkway beside her. She smiled, looking back at Ryoko and Satoshi as they continued to roll around in the garden. Their ages were close together so it was easy for them to get along.

"Yeah, I guess I did, didn't I?"

The Okami Pack and the Captains of the Shinsengumi all sat in the Garden on the final night of fall nearly a year later, laughing and eating as they had a good time with the others. The Okami Pack had been released to continue on their own way in the spring but the women just…never made to go.

And for that, Saito had been pleased. The night that Kondou had given the announcement of the women being free to leave, Saito felt as if his heart was going to be crushed. The thought of the woman that had become such a serious part of his life the last two years now leaving him, he almost could not take it. The thought of her face not being there beside him to make to in the morning…her laughter not there during the day…her presence on their rounds around the city missing…

But as time went on, and no one made a mention again of the Okami Pack leaving, Saito knew that he had nothing to fear any longer.

"Are you all right?" He asked her.

"Of course," She nodded. "Just planning the trip." Saito closed his eyes for a moment. Even though she had received her revenge on the Orgo Bandits, it would still be painful for her to visit the graves of her brothers. "But now…at least…I don't have to make it alone anymore."

Saito watched her gaze at Satoshi as he and Ryoko finally called their wrestling to quits. With the retrieval of her youngest brother, she finally had someone to make the trip with…Saito reached over and picked her hand up in his, giving it a tight, firm squeeze. "Never again." Was all he had to say. Katsumi gave a smile at her lovers firm promise before she leaned over to rest her head on his arm. Saito stared down at her, the small smile on his face as he watched her. He final glanced up at the sky. "You know, it will start to snow again soon," He paused. "Is there anything that you want washed away again?"

Katsumi opened her eyes for a moment to glance at the scene before them in the garden. At their family. She smiled and squeezed his hand again. "No."

Saito felt his grin spread wider and he closed his eyes, savoring this moment with the woman he loved.

Just like Asami had said, Katsumi was like the wind. When she's ready to continue her journey, if she ever wishes too, there was no doubt in Saito's mind that Katsumi will cut her path. And, if it ever came to it, there was no doubt in his mind, either, that he would be ready to follow right along-side for her. But for now, it seemed that this wind was quite fine with being contained.

**Such a cute little ending! 3**

**Please Review! I like to know what you all think :)**


	18. To Capture A Heart

**I OWN NOTHING BUT THE STORY LINE AND THE CHARACTERS THAT YOU DON****'T KNOW FROM THE ANIME/MANGA!**

_**To Capture a Heart**_

"**Tell it again, Katsumi."**

Katsumi sighed and rubbed her eyes. "But I'm tired of telling it. I've told it a thousand times. Why doesn't someone else tell their story?"

"I'm envious," Satoshi sighed, staring up at his sister. He sat in the room with the seven of the Okami Pack, listening to the story between Saito and Katsumi. Ryoko had begged her to tell it, though having heard it a millions times before. She didn't seem to get tired of it.

"Aww, don't be," Chika gave a grin, knocking him in the shoulder. "I'm sure, that out there somewhere, there's a girl that's as much of a brat as you are that's just waiting for you. Hell, she might even be on a different planet right now, thinking about you!" Satoshi gave her a shove as the others all laughed.

"What about you, Chika?" Yumi called over. "Your story's always a heart-warmer."

"Yeah, if you think falling for an egotistical psychopath that like's to bite people a heart-warmer." Chika snorted. "I'll tell that one when Tsukiko tells hers."

"Ain't happening." Was the immediate answer from the other woman on the other side of the room, drinking some tea.

Chika grinned and gave a wink at Yumi. "There's your answer."

"You make it seem like Okita and Shinpachi are such horrible people." Fuyu frowned.

"They're not," Asami smiled at her niece. "They just don't want to share their more personal actions. You don't want to hear about all, and I mean ALL, the things they did together, do you?"

"Asami!" Chika cried in horror as Tsukiko had a horrified look on her face. The Okami leader just gave a smile.

"What about you, Ryoko?" the younger girl turned to find that Katsumi was smiling at her. "I'm sure you've got a story or two for us."

"I…I'm not that much of a story-teller." Ryoko replied, drawing circles on the ground in front of her.

"Oh, come on, Ryoko," Chika leaned forward towards her friend. "Tell us, what did Heisuke have to do to capture your heart?"

Ryoko was a bright red now, not even daring to look up from her seat. She felt everyone's eyes on her; she was gonna explode. At the hand on her shoulder, she glanced over at Katsumi to see the woman smiling at her.

~If Katsumi can do it…then so can I~

Ryoko set a firm face. "It started just like all of ours did. That day in Kyoto when we first met the Shinsengumi…"

**So, I have several fans that wanted a Heisuke story next, so I gave in. It shall begin this weekend, so keep an eye out for it ;)**

**Please Review! I like to know what you all think :)**


	19. Next

And so begins the next story of the Okami Saga:

The Way I Do


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